Souls of Fire
by Razorclaw X
Summary: Picking up where 'The Geometry of Shattered Souls' and 'The Geometry of Vanished Souls' left off, the Fenril Knights emerge to challenge the authority of Crystal Tokyo. In the wake of the Black Moon War the fifth and final of the Children of Chaos works t
1. Dawn of Black Moon

Souls of Fire #1: Dawn of Black Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)  
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
This story follows the story set forth by "The   
Geometry of Shattered Souls" and "The Geometry of   
Vanished Souls," both available at my web site.   
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
The dark tenth planet of Earth's solar system floated   
silently in the sea of forever that made up outer   
space. The blackness absorbed all sunlight that   
managed to reach such a distance from the source,   
providing it with no color and no way for observers   
from space to see what lay on its surface. Astronomers   
speculate that this planet was in fact a rogue moon   
that once supported sentient life, and they were not   
far from the truth.   
  
The surface of Nemesis had been swept by the   
expeditions from Earth following the final battle   
against the forces of Black Moon-- descendants of   
exiles from Earth who used the tenth planet as their   
base of operations in the last war. The palaces and   
cities that dotted the surface of Nemesis were dark and   
deserted; all power was shut off long ago when the   
remnants of the Black Moon family were taken back to   
Earth for reintegration into society. The land was   
virtually untouched since the last of the expeditions   
passed through, and the planet was declared off-limits   
in fear that a new Black Moon Family could rise to   
threaten Earth.   
  
However, it was not the technologies and magicks   
left behind by the Black Moon that the people of Earth   
feared, but the hidden ruins of the civilization that   
previously inhabited the planet before them. In Black   
Moon lore they learned bits and pieces of a previous   
civilization that threatened Earth in a past time many   
centuries ago, and all that was left was the ruins.   
All attempts to ferret out these ruins were in vain,   
for it was also said that the ruins could only be   
found if they wanted to be found. As silly as it   
sounded, the scholarly members of society, having lived   
in the shadows of Crystal Tokyo for so long, could not   
discount such a possibility.   
  
After all, the ruins allowed Death Phantom to return   
to Earth with the Black Crystal.   
  
As thorough as the expeditions had been on Nemesis,   
they could not find the ruins or the hidden citadel   
that lay beneath the surface. It was this underground   
citadel that the Wiseman of Nemesis, also known as   
Death Phantom, made his home. The citadel not only   
served as a fortress and a place to hang your hat; it   
was a focal point from which the Black Crystal could   
focus its dark energies through the entire planet of   
Nemesis, utilizing it as a giant Black Crystal, if   
necessary. It was also this citadel that saved the   
dark planet from destruction in the last battle over   
Crystal Tokyo, forcing it back to its proper, yet   
erratic, orbit after the sorceries holding it in orbit   
over Earth were shattered.   
  
The citadel had many levels, but it was in the great   
hall at the center of the fortress where Wiseman and   
his seventeen minions stood, staring up at the false   
stars in the sky made possible through magic. The   
familiar stars were the same that made up the sky if   
the citadel were on the surface, but all the   
constellations were in different areas due to the   
positional difference between Earth and Nemesis. No   
sun or moon could be seen in the sky as they could be   
on Earth, which made the sky appear the more alien.   
  
Their home was Earth-- yet, it was no longer their   
home, for the seventeen were from the past; none of   
them belonged in the Thirtieth Century of Earth   
reckoning.   
  
"This," Wiseman said, finishing his grand speech,   
"is the current situation on Earth. It is this that   
your world has become: quiet, complacent, and peaceful,   
but utterly dull, vulnerable, and completely devoid of   
motivation."   
  
"If it's peaceful," someone said, "then there's no   
reason to fight, is there?"   
  
"You missed the point!" yelled another. "Progress   
cannot come if there's no reason TO progress!"   
  
"But if the universe is at peace, as Neo Queen   
Serenity says," countered the first, "then there's no   
need for that, either!"   
  
"Wrong, bucko," a third said. "Humanity wasn't   
created to strive for normalcy; we are proof enough of   
that!"   
  
"So what? You're sayin' we're special?"   
  
"No. Simply put, we're different."   
  
"Different's good."   
  
"Enough!" commanded Wiseman, his voice echoing   
throughout the great hall. The attentions of the   
seventeen were swept up easily. "The goals of Earth   
are not served if we destroy one another before the   
mission is accomplished. I'm not asking you to work   
together; I'm TELLING you to not destroy each other."   
  
"Sounds reasonable."   
  
"Yeah, just say everything but the word 'teamwork.'   
I'll buy that."   
  
"That's great'n all, but what're we supposed to be   
doing, anyway?"   
  
"I'm pleased you brought that up," lied Wiseman,   
although he was glad that someone beside him thought   
up the issue. "Each of you know someone living on   
Earth that could be of use to us. Since it's not   
feasible at this time to attack Earth's despotic queen,   
we must build up a power base."   
  
"But if we do go, won't we tip them off?"   
  
"Perhaps, but it is a risk that I've weighed, and   
that is acceptable," answered the sorcerer. "The   
element of surprise is useless if we have nothing to   
back it up with."   
  
"So how're we gettin' back to Earth, anyhow?"   
  
Wiseman gestured his hands over his crystal ball.   
Dark energies swirled within the globe, cracking black   
lightning within. A surge of power leaped out of the   
ball, splitting into seventeen directions and ending   
over each of the seventeen people. Each of the power   
surges solidified, floating down to each person like a   
feather. The solid form was a prism-like crystal, a   
different color of the spectrum for each person, with   
no two being alike.   
  
"What's this?"   
  
"These crystal prisms," explained Wiseman, "are keys   
that allow you to access the travel dimension. You may   
think of it as a form of teleportation. You can travel   
to any location you wish, but the limitation is range."   
  
"Then wouldn't Earth be too far away?"   
  
"In most circumstances, yes," he acknowledged. "For   
the previous expedition it was necessary to move the   
entirety of Nemesis into orbit of Earth in order for   
the prisms to work properly, but this task is   
unfeasible at the moment. Rather, I suggest any of   
you to propose a means to relieve this handicap."   
  
"This time I will use the Black Crystal to transport   
each of you to Earth," he continued. "Activate the   
prism once you wish to return and I will bring you back   
myself. However, I suggest you make the most of your   
time on Earth, for I do not plan on rending this   
service at all times."   
  
"Understood."   
  
"One-way ticket to Earth and back... big whoop."   
  
Wiseman levitated in place, weaving another spell   
with his crystal ball. "Now, go to Earth. Find any   
who are willing to aid our cause. Find anything that   
may be useful in the new expedition."   
  
The crystal prisms held by each of the seventeen   
glowed in unison, reacting to the crystal ball. An   
image of the Black Crystal appeared within the energy   
swirls of the ball, pulsating in its own energies.   
Lightning of midnight arced from the crystal ball to   
each of the seventeen prisms, dematerializing them and   
their owners into nothingness.   
  
With the seventeen warriors gone Wiseman stood up   
from his levitating position. The sky view above   
changed to a monitoring station-- a giant screen from   
which to observe the Earth, in much similar a way as   
one viewed a planetarium. Crystal Tokyo glistened in   
the moonlight, as it has always done, it seemed. The   
Black Crystal Shards had been removed from the city,   
and the damaged brought about by the tidal waves were   
nonexistent, since the gravitational field of Nemesis   
was no longer forcing an imbalance.   
  
He viewed the Crystal Palace in all its sickening   
greatness, standing over where the old Imperial Palace   
used to be. While the old palace still existed under   
the structure, it would never be seen by the casual eye   
again. The lush gardens, once green with splendor,   
were replaced by frozen crystal ice, the symbol of   
tyrannical order. What exists in rigid ice is an   
absolute order-- an order which Neo Queen Serenity and   
her Senshi impose on the people.   
  
"Neo Queen Serenity," the last of the Chaos Children   
said to himself. "The time of my return is at hand, as   
you always knew since then. I've seen the past, and   
I've seen the future-- and learned much between the   
two. It is not enough to know that you are foolish   
enough to believe your way is the only right, for when   
they come you'll never save your beloved civilization."   
  
---  
  
Crystal Tokyo, Earth, 30th Century   
  
The first sight the first of the seventeen saw as   
soon as he materialized on Earth was the strange shine   
of the crystal. Walls, streets, poles, and structures   
of all kind were encased in transparent crystal-- all   
shiny and clean. Concrete lay behind a crystal wall,   
although it took little thought to imagine that it was   
actually encased in the crystal, as if the crystal grew   
over what was there before. The street poles, wooden   
as they were, were immortalized in pure clear crystal,   
just as the walls. Each imperfection in the wood was   
preserved for all time, never to be touched by the   
menace of termites or weather again.   
  
For that matter, the weather was, quite blandly,   
sunny with a few clouds here and there. The   
surroundings hardly appeared as if they suffered rain   
lately, if at all. Or any other weather condition, for   
that matter; everything looked clean and pristine.   
Somewhere, birds were chirping their morning song-- if   
it was indeed morning. For a moment the visitor   
wondered how the birds survived in such a barren   
crystalscape.   
  
He found his answer as soon as he stepped through one   
of the gates in the quiet neighborhood. Grass did   
indeed exist here, unmolested by the touch of the   
crystal growth; it seemed to stop where the wall ended   
and the grass began. Ants continued to crawl along the   
side of the wall as usual, but only at the corner due   
to the fact that the crystal was too slippery for them   
to climb on. Stray flowers grew here and there, but   
none truly a weed. He spotted a bee bumbling from one   
flower to the next, likely signifying the spring   
season. The trees that decorated the yard here and   
there appeared quite healthy as well, giving the   
visitor some hope that the world could survive in its   
crystal prison.   
  
Before he knew it the visitor was at the front steps   
of the home to which the yard belonged. Standing in   
front of the door sheepishly, he had no idea what kind   
of reaction the occupants would expect after seeing him   
for so long. He imagined they wouldn't recognize him,   
despite the fact that a relatively short time passed   
since Neo Queen Serenity woke up the sleeping Earth.   
He formed new images in his mind, of the occupants   
being aged many years beyond his own, showing signs of   
graying or even completely shriveled.   
  
Despite his hesitation, the visitor knocked on the   
door. The crystal-encased wood never made the same   
sound as if it were the wood alone-- the echo made by   
tapping on wood seemed hollow and distant. It echoed   
seemingly forever, resonating as fit for a crystal   
formation. Almost immediately the visitor got cold   
feet, trying to convince himself it was all a mistake   
to come back home.   
  
But it was too late to back out, because the front   
door slid open for him. "Good morning, may I help   
you?" asked the gentle voice belonging to the woman   
at the door, bowing respectfully.   
  
Although it seemed as if the woman hadn't recognized   
him, the visitor certainly did recognize her. She   
looked no different from the day he last remembered her   
back in 1999, the last day before the vast ecological   
disaster that befell the world. She wore her hair long   
and tied with a bow, allowing it to hang in front over   
her shoulder. She wore an apron to keep the dust and   
grime of housework chores off her modest dress, and   
wore a sweet smile to match. It was all these   
qualities and more that Ranma Saotome remembered of   
Kasumi Tendo.   
  
"K... Kasumi?" the martial artist said nervously.   
"It's me, Ranma."   
  
---  
  
Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, Nerima District, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Ukyo Kuonji was surprised at the amount of business   
her restaurant, Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, was getting   
despite her absence from the shop for years on end.   
  
The kunoichi Konatsu appeared very skilled in the   
chef's eyes even though he appeared to have not aged   
one year since she last saw him. Utilizing cooking   
techniques she taught him over the years they've been   
together Konatsu apparently kept the restaurant open in   
Ukyo's absence in honor of her memory. The customers,   
some of which she recognized from before, were still   
very eager to eat a well-cooked meal.   
  
"I'm proud of you," Ukyo couldn't help saying, making   
the ninja-turned-chef blush. "You did all this for   
me?"   
  
Konatsu nodded, pausing in his busy work to give his   
undivided attention to the store's owner. "It was the   
least I could do. I was worried about you when you   
disappeared after everybody woke up."   
  
"Funny, that," the okonomiyaki chef snorted, although   
the kunoichi seemed not to notice. "I've been gone for   
how long and nobody's aged a bit."   
  
"I noticed that as well," Konatsu replied. He paused   
to take another order from the next customer, then   
proceeded to cook again. "It seems to have something   
to do with whatever purifying magic the queen used back   
then."   
  
"Back when?" Ukyo asked, not knowing what Konatsu was   
referring to.   
  
---  
  
Nekohanten, Nerima District, Crystal Tokyo   
  
"Back when the world was awakened by Neo Queen   
Serenity," Cologne explained to Mousse and Shampoo, who   
had only recently reentered the old woman's life,   
"there was chaos and confusion spreading throughout   
the world. All turmoil was turned inward, not toward   
the fellow man, but toward the single spire of alien   
power that existed at the time: Crystal Tokyo. As we   
were at the epicenter of the madness we knew of the   
troubles first because the queen and her senshi were   
always here."   
  
"And THEY won?!" Mousse realized in disbelief. "The   
world against four girls in sailor suits?!"   
  
"They were not to be underestimated," continued the   
old Amazon. "Backed by the power of their queen and   
their Silver Crystal what became known as The Rebellion   
was soon quelled. An ultimatum was passed, whereby all   
of humanity must submit to the purifying light of the   
Silver Crystal to remove sin from themselves. At the   
time the first of those visited by Neo Queen Serenity   
almost unanimously refused. Since the queen refused to   
force them to live under her New Order, they were   
exiled from Earth. After that, not surprisingly, very   
few people refused her demand."   
  
"That's terrible," Shampoo said, shaking her head.   
  
"However, during her grand tour of the world, the   
inhabitants of Crystal Tokyo were forgotten in the   
great purification," Cologne said, nodding. "Elements   
living in Crystal Tokyo knew they had little time to   
act before the queen returned to get them, so they   
staged a rebellion of their own. It, too, failed."   
  
"So you're saying everyone had to get 'purified' or   
leave the planet?" Mousse asked.   
  
"It was a terrible time, to be assured," confirmed   
Cologne. "Although I must say that I feel no more or   
less different than before."   
  
Mousse raised his fists in anger. "There's no way   
some magic disco ball is going to make an old hag like   
you any better!!"   
  
He hardly expected the attack to come from Shampoo,   
as the old woman hardly made a move to attack him at   
all. Wiping her hands of the mess, she asked, "Great-   
grandmother, what happen when you were purified?"   
  
---  
  
Unryu Farm, Japan   
  
"It was a warm feeling," Akari said, describing her   
experience in the light of the Silver Crystal. "I felt   
so... clean... and pure. It was an experience like no   
other, and I feel that way every day."   
  
Ryoga Hibiki said nothing, staring at the cup of tea   
in front of him on the table. The steam rose and   
escaped into the air, like so much hopes and dreams.   
He had no idea what drove him to come to the farm, back   
to the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life   
with. He had no idea what the others were thinking,   
and had no idea what he was supposed to think, either.   
  
"Ryoga," Akari said, concern in her voice, "what's   
the matter?"   
  
"It's nothing," he lied, albeit poorly.   
  
"I've waited all these years for you to return," she   
proclaimed, making the martial artist feel even more   
nervous. "I've kept my heart and soul pure until the   
day we met again, and today is that day!" She edged   
uncomfortably close to him.   
  
Akari, Ryoga thought, you're so sweet and innocent,   
and perfect! What's a guy like me, being shanghai'ed   
by a crazy old man with ideas of destroying such a   
perfect world, have to deserve someone like you?   
  
---   
  
Kuno Estate, Nerima District, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Tatewaki wasted no time listening to the prattle of   
his father, pushing his way past him and through the   
halls of the estate. Kodachi trailed behind, sparing a   
single glance at her fallen father before continuing   
on. The two Kuno siblings made their way into the   
lower depths of the estate, to the underground dojo   
and training facility.   
  
Separating at an intersection, Tatewaki entered a   
chamber to which he alone held the key. Flipping on   
the light switch the glistening artificial light   
bounced off the myriad blades placed on display on the   
walls and in display cases organized about the room.   
Looking at the blades only briefly Tatewaki stopped   
when he came to one sword in particular. Reaching out   
his arm he grasped the weapon in his hand, feeling a   
surge of power which felt invigorating.   
  
Likewise in her own personal chambers Kodachi danced   
about in a playful, thoughtless manner on the mats   
laid out throughout the entire room. As she passed by   
each section of wall the gymnast grabbed the tools of   
her trade-- rhythmic gymnastics tools. The pile in the   
center of the room grew as Kodachi danced about in her   
selective process, throwing balls here, clubs there,   
and hoops over them. She came to a stop in her dance   
when she selected her first ribbon, running its length   
between her fingers lovingly.   
  
The Kuno siblings met once again back in the hall,   
their weapons of choice chosen.   
  
"Though it does not pain me to see our Dad in such a   
benevolent manner," Tatewaki said to his sister, "it   
disturbs the order of nature that he be changed in such   
a sorcerous manner!"   
  
"The bewitching creature calling herself Neo Queen   
Serenity," Kodachi added, "may be nothing more than my   
common enemy, that sorcerous pig-tailed girl that dared   
to steal Ranma-darling from me in the past!"   
  
Tatewaki eyed his sister suspiciously. "I will   
forgive your undeserving insult this once, for we have   
a common foe." He unsheathed his sword, the light   
glinting off the etched dragon near the base of the   
blade. "For when thy opponent be Tatewaki Kuno, defeat   
is the only outcome!"   
  
---   
  
Mishima Heavy Industries, Crystal Tokyo   
  
It seemed a simple matter for Ayame Mishima, and her   
partner, Shion Kagami, to get into the headquarters of   
her family's business.   
  
However, family strings proved quite useless as the   
entirety of Mishima Heavy Industries, one of the   
largest weapons firms in Japan, was closed, bankrupt,   
and worst of all, deserted. The high-rise office   
looked as if nobody had worked there in days, when in   
fact the company shut down many years ago-- all thanks   
to the crystal growth stemming from the Crystal Palace.   
  
Shion Kagami looked around the empty office,   
adjusting the rim of his glasses out of nervous habit.   
"Doesn't look like we're getting too much help from   
your uncle."   
  
Ayame said nothing to her sometime partner and   
hacker. She lead him to the president's office on the   
top floor, pushing it open easily as it was unlocked.   
"If Uncle were here to see this he'd have a fit."   
  
"You don't know that he's not still around," Shion   
pointed out. "When we visited Chika she had no idea   
what happened to him."   
  
"That worthless sister of yours...."   
  
"She's quite capable," he pointed out.   
  
"Whatever," shrugged Ayame, moving around the spartan   
office to the one piece of furniture still available:   
a single desk bolted to the floor. "If she didn't want   
to help us, that's fine by me. She could've at least   
tried to find out what happened to my family."   
  
"She doesn't want to throw away what she has," Shion   
said in defense. "Besides, don't you think your mom   
and dad are still at home?"   
  
"Why bother with them?" asked the young Mishima,   
ducking under the desk. "All they're going to do is   
yell at me for being gone all this time! Then they'll   
want me to go back to rhythmic gymnastics or do ballet   
or whatever bullshit that good girls do. As far as I'm   
concerned they're only hobbies; THIS HERE is my life!"   
Finding the hidden switch she was looking for, Ayame   
pushed it.   
  
Shion jumped in surprise when one of the office   
walls pulled back to reveal an express elevator. "I   
guess I should've expected something like that."   
  
Ayame smirked to herself, unfolding a clean white lab   
coat she found in one of the drawers. Putting it on   
she lead the hacker to the elevator, and keyed in her   
unique identification number into the keypad within.   
No sooner had the doors shut the express elevator was   
already on its way down. Shion started estimating how   
many floors they were going down until he gave up at   
ground level.   
  
When the elevator car came to a stop the two exited,   
entering a dark chamber with dimmed lights on the walls   
here and there.   
  
Shion whistled. "This is Mishima's central computer   
core?"   
  
"You got it," Ayame answered, stepping up to the   
large, central monitor. Raising her voice, she called,   
"Ayame Mishima, Frozen Ferret, KD-0079."   
  
A few moments later the lights of the core lit up,   
powering on after many years of dormancy. Shion   
wringed his hands in anticipation, already wondering   
how much good he could do with the sophisticated   
equipment in this room alone.   
  
"At least it worked, vulture," Ayame snorted, looking   
at Shion with contempt.   
  
"Hey!" complained the hacker. "All the money I have   
couldn't have gotten me a mainframe like this! And   
besides, what're you going to do with all of it,   
anyway?"   
  
As if to answer his question a face appeared on the   
large monitor. The image appeared garbled enough that   
neither Ayame nor Shion could tell who was speaking,   
but when he spoke they knew who it was for certain.   
  
"My dear niece Ayame," Mishima said. The CEO of   
Mishima Heavy Industries sounded as if he were under   
some kind of pressure. "As of this recording you are   
the only member of our proud family who has gone   
missing since the disaster in 1999. I'm leaving this   
for you in case you do return-- in any case it'll be   
beyond my life."   
  
"Uncle...." Ayame whispered, wondering if he took his   
own life.   
  
"By now I'm certain you've seen what has become of   
this Earth," the old man continued. "Frankly, when we   
realized we were next after the United Nations failed   
to stop Queen Serenity, we knew our days were numbered,   
just as theirs were. You wouldn't be looking at this   
if you'd been purified by the light of the Silver   
Crystal."   
  
"I haven't gathered a lot of info on that Silver   
Crystal," Shion admitted. "It's probably one of those   
things we've got to look into before we act."   
  
"You will find that among the hidden holdings of our   
business is an intact production facility, hidden deep   
under the ground," Mishima said, a slight glint of hope   
in his voice. "We've cached as much of our equipment   
as we could there-- those that our clients couldn't   
hide or utilize before the war ended. Somehow, I hope   
you can make use of those."   
  
"I will, Uncle," promised Ayame.   
  
There was a brief pause in the recording. "I'm sorry   
to say that we'll never see each other again, Ayame.   
I'm going off with the rest of our top executives and   
taking the Dokir serum; hopefully they'll change my   
appearance as well. I can only guess what's happening   
to those people that refuse to submit to Serenity's   
rule, so all I have left is to live in fear and shame.   
Farewell, and good luck."   
  
Ayame and Shion stood in the core silently, allowing   
the words to sink in.   
  
It was Shion who broke the silence. "Okay, so the   
old man wiped his mind; who else did that, too?"   
  
"It's probably in the database somewhere," guessed   
young Mishima, fighting off any sense of remorse in her   
body. "Everything should be in the database."   
  
Cracking his knuckles, Shion rushed to the nearest   
terminal. It was, however, encased in the same crystal   
growth as the rest of the building. He slammed his   
fists down on the keyboard in frustration, jumping in   
surprise when the keys depressed within.   
  
"I guess they still work the same old way," the   
hacker said, shrugging. "Well, then, let's see what   
Old Man Mishima left us."   
  
---   
  
Cult of Orochi Fortress, Japan   
  
The old stomping grounds looked quite the same as it   
did when Higure Furui was last at the Orochi Cult's   
underground compound.   
  
Pushing open the heavy iron gate that sealed the   
entrance on the cliffside the former Orochi assassin   
entered the cavern, descending at a steep angle. The   
rock walls, supported by petrified wooden beams, seemed   
rather narrow to Higure as he nearly caught his robe   
afire by one of the torches hanging on the wall.   
  
He stopped at what appeared to be more cavern, but   
Higure knew better; through his sixth sense he could   
faintly detect a strong, killing ward set from the   
inside. Whipping out his white feather fan the Shinto   
wizard muttered an incantation, lavender sparks   
trailing behind each wave of the fan. The death ward   
blinked for a moment, then died.   
  
Higure continued down the tunnel in this manner,   
removing four wards in total before reaching the   
compound proper. The first chamber was an expansive   
hall, lit dimly only by myriad of ordinary candles--   
candles that burned forever. The center of the hall   
was decorated with the purple circle symbol of Orochi   
with an infinity symbol painted in the middle. No   
acolyte was there to greet the former assassin, to his   
disappointment, but he pressed on ahead.   
  
After the entrance hall, directly opposing the tunnel   
entrance was the altar chamber. The heavy iron door   
remained open at all times save for emergencies, and   
Higure was glad there wasn't a true emergency. Walking   
on a purple velvet carpet that stretched all the way to   
the altar the wizard cast glances back and forth to   
the darkness, and the eight candles that lit it.   
  
On each side of the carpet were four candles, each   
with a stone slab before it-- one representing each of   
the exhalted Eight Assassins of Orochi, the most   
deadly warriors of the cult. It was tradition to blow   
out a candle and lay the corpse of a fallen assassin on   
the slab in order for Orochi, their dark god, to take   
them to his domain in the next plane. Higure was glad   
to see that none of the candles were put out, but it   
meant little if the current assassins could not deal   
with the present situation.   
  
For the first time he noticed another man in the   
chamber, sitting in front of the Altar of Orochi in   
silent meditation. This man, unlike most of the other   
Orochi acolytes, dressed similarly to a Buddhist monk   
of the bygone ages. His staff, topped with a gold   
figure decorated with eight gold rings hanging from   
each side, rest to his left, within arm's reach.   
Although the man hardly looked threatening, Higure knew   
this man, the current leader of the Eight Assassins.   
  
"I see you've returned," Shang Long said without   
turning around.   
  
Higure chuckled to himself, remembering that, since   
he was blind, the monk's sense of hearing was vastly   
enhanced. "The spirits told you of my return?"   
  
"Nay," answered the assassin leader. "The state of   
this Earth is grim indeed; the spirit realm, and the   
gods, are no longer able to communicate with us."   
  
"I see," Higure said, nodding. "So the Kami Plane   
has indeed been sealed off."   
  
"We have been out of contact with great Orochi for   
many years, ever since the Purification," explained   
Shang Long. "When the purge of humanity began I   
decided to take the cult into hiding-- to wait for the   
queen to make a mistake. Without Orochi to guide us,   
without his power, the acolytes have become chaotic.   
They are content for now, but with your arrival it   
heralds the start of the next age."   
  
"I understand little of what you speak of," Higure   
admitted, "although I am not surprised that you knew of   
my return."   
  
"Surrounding you and seventeen others," the monk   
explained, "are powerful energies-- energies that could   
help shape the future of this Earth. With this   
knowledge in hand I took to studying and meditating   
upon the matter, to find my place in the scheme. But I   
will play but a minor role in the coming events, as it   
has been determined that the eighteen warriors from   
beyond the darkness will arrive to test humanity."   
  
"You are likely correct. There are eighteen of us at   
the moment, including our most generous host. I put   
his motivation in suspect, but at the moment it does   
coincide with my own goals."   
  
"We are not the only pocket resistance," Shang Long   
pointed out. "We have remained hidden so long because   
of our lack of activity; others have likely done the   
same. It would do you well to find more of these such   
groups and make allies of them. The Sailor Senshi of   
Crystal Tokyo are far stronger than they appear."   
  
"Yes, I have heard of them," the Shinto wizard said.   
"I doubt they will pose much of a problem."   
  
"Be warned, Higure; since the Orochi power has been   
denied to us your-- our power-- has been diminished   
greatly. You will not be able to access the greater   
arcane magicks as you used before."   
  
Higure nodded in understanding.   
  
---   
  
Shrine of the Four Gods, Japan   
  
Shizuka Minazuki found the quiet totally unsettling.   
  
Looking at the head of the boa constrictor wrapped   
around her body and right arm, she said, "Looks like   
there's nothing left, right, Thanatos?"   
  
The snake's only reply was a flick of its forked   
tongue; of course he couldn't answer, the priestess   
thought. It was a force of habit Shizuka could never   
drop ever since getting Thanatos when he was at a young   
age.   
  
They stood together at the center of the symmetrical   
Shrine of the Four Gods, sectioned off into four areas,   
one for each god: Genbu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Seiryu.   
The area appeared untouched, however, as the plants   
seemed well-trimmed for a place that was abandoned many   
years ago. It was the quiet that bothered Shizuka the   
most.   
  
She waited patiently, but it was hardly long before   
Hokuto Takemasa, Cinder, and Miranda Kusao emerged from   
the shrines they searched.   
  
"Any luck?" she asked.   
  
Cinder shook his head, his dark cloak hiding all his   
features save two mechanical claws and a red, circular   
mechanical left eye. "The Suzaku shrine is empty," he   
reported, his voice digitally grating.   
  
"Same with the Seiryu shrine," Hokuto added.   
  
"Ditto for Byakko," Miranda, the crimson-eyed martial   
arts student of Cinder's, said.   
  
"I'm not surprised; the Genbu shrine was abandoned as   
well," Shizuka said, adding her input to the report.   
"I mean, it looks as if everybody just upped and left   
for some reason."   
  
"All the vestments and trinkets are intact, yeah,"   
Miranda added. "Everything but the people."   
  
"It's worse, though," Hokuto voiced, worry in her   
tone. "I've tried to access the Shadow plane, but it's   
blocked off."   
  
"The seals of the Planar Gate are intact, but there   
are no apparent Guardians," Cinder said. "While the   
seals are in place there is no chance for us to access   
extraplanar powers."   
  
"Sypha's going to be pissed, that's for sure," Hokuto   
reminded the others. "Provided, of course, she didn't   
already figure this out herself."   
  
Shizuka nodded, producing a summoning talisman that   
read, "Tengu." "And that just bites, as these are   
useless to me at the moment. What am I supposed to do   
without my summoned beasts?"   
  
Miranda shrugged. "There's always the old-fashioned   
way of doing things." She threw a couple practice   
punches, followed by a cutting motion in the air.   
  
"Someone's sealed the Gate," Hokuto repeated, "and   
it's likely the key to our ultimate victory. Whoever   
is holding the Gate sealed is likely very powerful in   
their own right."   
  
"Somehow I suspect it may be the queen herself,"   
Cinder reasoned. "If she can subdue the world all by   
herself, then surely she could hold the seal shut   
herself as well."   
  
"But there MUST be a way to bypass the seal!"   
Shizuka said in frustration. "Many others have   
attempted to break the seals when the Four Guardians   
were around, and some even succeeded. We need a way to   
do that ourselves."   
  
"There should be a way," Hokuto explained. "There is   
a reason why there were Four Guardians to protect the   
Planar Gate, after all. One person, no matter how   
powerful they are, cannot keep the four seals in place   
at once. Our plan should allow for some way to attack   
all the seals at the same time. The way we're going to   
do this, however, needs to be determined."   
  
---   
  
Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Matters of the state were rarely brought to the   
attention of Neo Queen Serenity unless they were of   
dire importance. Following the defeat of the Black   
Moon Family and their sinister advisor the ruler of   
Earth determined that leadership also needs the input   
of the people. To that end a sort of world parliament   
was created-- a pet project of King Endymion. While he   
was often away to iron out the details of the council   
Neo Queen Serenity was left alone with her daughter.   
And yet, she, too, was gone, off to train in the past   
with her previous incarnation, leaving the queen   
without the comfort of her family.   
  
But for the first time since the parliament's   
creation the queen was called to attend to a matter of   
the state, which was why she was seated in her throne,   
awaiting the guards to escort the messenger into the   
chamber. Standing nearby was Sailor Mercury, a trusted   
advisor and a clear thinker in many matters. The two   
hardly had to wait long as the guards entered with a   
man-- a scientist.   
  
"My name's Hideyoshi," the scientist said,   
introducing himself quickly. He appeared quite   
excited, judging from his speaking out of turn. The   
monarch decided to let it slide for the moment.   
  
"You are an astronomer, am I correct?" the queen   
asked, although she already knew the answer.   
  
Hideyoshi nodded vigorously. "Well, as you know--   
well, maybe you don't-- I'm the head of the team that's   
studying Nemesis, the tenth planet?"   
  
"Go on." Serenity didn't like the sound of this   
news already. When the tenth planet was first   
discovered long ago very few paid it too much attention   
as the world was busy readjusting itself. The only   
saving grace of the black moon was the atmosphere-- it   
could support the same life as on Earth, given time.   
It seemed like a good idea at the time, exiling those   
people who refused to live under her rule to Nemesis in   
order to gradually terraform the black world, but when   
their descendents returned....   
  
No, it was the fault of Death Phantom that the   
terraforming project went awry. At the time Neo Queen   
Serenity rejected the idea that he could have once   
been a man, but the expeditions to Nemesis produced a   
journal that proved otherwise, offering a detailed and   
somewhat skewed account of Wiseman's 'birth.' She had   
no doubt that one of Chaos's spawn somehow got into   
this man, but the thought that humanity could turn   
against her was still a scary prospect.   
  
But, as the spawn of Chaos did choose a man as its   
host, there was still hope that his humanity could be   
appealed to.   
  
The astronomer produced a printout from his coat   
pocket, and started to read it. "According to the   
calculations we made at the University, the   
gravitational field of the planet has shifted   
slightly. While this is normally no big cause for an   
alarm, I took the liberty of checking with the records   
taken just before the Black Moon War, and, if the   
fluctuations remain constant...."   
  
"Which means there is activity on Nemesis once more,"   
interrupted Queen Serenity. The message was, of   
course, that magic was being used-- a great magic. She   
looked to Sailor Mercury. "It appears that our nemesis   
has returned to the planet Nemesis."   
  
Mercury nodded.   
  
Turning back to Hideyoshi, the queen said, "I thank   
you for bringing this to my attention. Keep up your   
studious work for the benefit of our world."   
  
Bowing respectfully, the guards escorted Hideyoshi   
out of the throne room. As soon as he was gone Neo   
Queen Serenity said, "It appears that Death Phantom has   
indeed returned as promised."   
  
"It won't matter too much," someone said, just   
entering the throne room of her own volition. Sailor   
Mars carried the airs of arrogance around her, a   
feeling somewhat natural considering the numerous   
fights she has been through. "We defeated foes like   
him before; Pharaoh 90 could not win three centuries   
ago. If Death Phantom wants to make a rematch of his   
own, let him!"   
  
"She's right," agreed Sailor Mercury. "We may be   
destined to fight the Chaos forces for years to come   
yet. All the same we must overcome these enemies as   
they come, or Earth will suffer."   
  
"But it may be different this time," reminded Neo   
Queen Serenity. "While we battled Pharaoh 90 for the   
second time the Earth was in no danger of being   
destroyed because of the Great Sleep. He had no one to   
hurt because of it; we forced him back to Tau Ceti   
without much problems."   
  
"And the last time we battled Death Phantom was a   
lifetime ago," continued the monarch. "When he   
appeared to us in 1999 he warned that he would return   
to the future to challenge us again. It appears that   
now is the time. I will not underestimate such a   
cunning opponent again."   
  
"Yeah, but we don't even know what that creep's up   
to," Mars pointed out. "Last time he manipulated   
everyone to turn against each other; we must be on   
guard for that."   
  
"What are you asking for?" asked Mercury, even though   
she knew what Mars had in mind.   
  
To the queen Mars said, "I'm going to see if I can   
divine something about the nature of Death Phantom's   
threat. I'll let you know if I come up with   
something."   
  
"Be wary, Sailor Mars," warned the monarch, "for   
Death Phantom surely knows us as well as we know him.   
I will be expecting some news."   
  
"Thank you," the senshi said sincerely.   
  
---   
  
Iwata Prefecture, Japan   
  
Kanna Rajura knocked on the front door of the well-   
built suburban house, modeled in a Western style. She   
straightened herself out, reaching over her shoulder to   
make sure she can get her hands on her death scythe in   
a flash. The death scythe was specially designed to   
function as both a naginata and a scythe when   
necessary, although the naginata was often utilized to   
take advantage of Kanna's Whirling Spear Style.   
  
For a moment she wondered why she was standing there,   
but Kanna remembered: it was where the elusive David   
Kiivan was living, of course. His mother directed her   
in this direction after she dropped by his house, only   
to learn that he moved out. Thoughts flashed briefly   
of David, a foreigner living in Japan-- a good-looking   
guy, for that matter, and to which Kanna devoted her   
heart to.   
  
At least, she wanted it to be that way.   
  
The front door opened, and there was David Kiivan in   
all his blonde, muscular glory. He appeared no   
different than Kanna remembered, and apparently it was   
likewise for David.   
  
"Kanna?" he said in disbelief. "Kanna Rajura?"   
  
"Hello, Dave," Kanna said, unable to resist using the   
terrible one-liner. "I was just in the neighborhood   
and I decided to look you up."   
  
"Just in the neighborhood?" he repeated, chuckling.   
"Where've you been these past years?"   
  
"Long story," she assured him. "Aren't you going to   
ask me inside your lovely home?"   
  
Blustering for a moment, David stepped aside from the   
door, waving the girl in. "Come on in! There's a lot   
we need to discuss!"   
  
"I'm sure."   
  
Although she'd never been in a Western-style house   
before, Kanna wasn't taken in by the foreign culture,   
not surprised, awed, or calculating. It simply was   
there to her. She wanted to take off her shoes at the   
door, but David stopped her, shaking his head   
wordlessly. Understanding, Kanna stepped on the   
carpet with her dirty shoes, despite feeling a bit   
uncomfortable about it.   
  
The living room was adjoining to the doorway.   
Carpeted with an inexpensive rug the center held a   
small coffee table, blocked off by a large couch and   
a single-person chair made of the same material. An   
entertainment center was set up against one wall,   
decorated with a CD player, a large television set,   
and any number of gadgets. Kanna's suspicions rose   
when she noticed the picture frames standing on top of   
the entertainment center, but she was too far to   
discern who the pictures were of.   
  
"Have a seat," suggested David, waving his arms in   
the direction of the large couch.   
  
The warrior looked at the couch for a moment, then   
pulled her death scythe from her back.   
  
Quickly David was at her side, ready to grab the   
weapon. "Allow me!"   
  
But Kanna pulled the pole weapon back. "I'll just   
hang onto this, if you don't mind." When the American   
hardly looked convinced, she added quickly, "It's got   
sentimental value."   
  
"Ah," he said, nodding as if he understood. He took   
a seat of his own on the chair, and Kanna followed his   
lead on the couch.   
  
"So, how've you been?" David asked, striking up a   
conversation awkwardly.   
  
"I've felt better," Kanna answered. Adding a   
seductive undertone, she added, "But I'm willing to   
bet it can get much better soon...."   
  
"Well, I suppose so!" David agreed, although, to   
Kanna's disappointment, the thick-skulled moron didn't   
seem to pick up on her thoughts.   
  
"I haven't seen too much of Crystal Tokyo, or   
anything around it, for that matter," Kanna explained,   
"because, well, I've been gone."   
  
He nodded in understanding. "Travel does that to   
people. I mean, it's really great, how things have   
been going lately. Japan's pretty much the center of   
the world now."   
  
As if that were necessarily a good thing, Kanna   
thought. "I've heard that lots have changed, you   
know? Such as Kanzaki, Mishima, and Nanjo-- the three   
big Heavy Industries-- shut down."   
  
"Yep," confirmed David, sighing. "The weapons   
industries had to be shut down, and all the research   
that went into it as well. A shame that many lost   
their jobs there, but at least everyone can work these   
days. Some of the researchers, I hear, have gone into   
other fields."   
  
"I'd imagine that some of them didn't take their   
lay-offs well."   
  
The American shook his head. "Some of them took   
part in a small revolt here in the city; they're all   
gone now."   
  
"Gone?"   
  
"You know-- banished from Earth? Banished to the   
far-off planet... moon... whatever, Nemesis."   
  
Kanna said nothing, thinking back to what Wiseman   
told her back on Nemesis. While she took everything   
the old man said with a grain of salt, a lot of what   
he said, even the most extreme bits, were being   
reinforced by David, someone who wasn't good enough to   
lie in the first place. It occurred to her that   
perhaps the old man was playing both sides, but Kanna   
rejected that idea, taking into account that Wiseman   
sounded like he really did hate Neo Queen Serenity,   
and perhaps for a legitimate reason.   
  
"Supposedly," continued David, "their descendents--   
I'm not sure how they got old and had kids so fast--   
were the ones that attacked not long ago, but after   
they lost the queen ordered them reintegrated into   
society so they couldn't harm us anymore."   
  
"Their descendents, eh?" Kanna repeated, interested.   
"The way you talk it'd seem as if a hundred years has   
passed already!"   
  
But David seemed serious. "Maybe it had. I don't   
feel any older, really. I could stay twenty-four   
forever for all I know."   
  
Another blow, Kanna counted. So it WAS true that   
time has slowed down for Earth, but for what reason?   
  
"Oh, David!" she heard someone-- a woman-- shout from   
the next room. "Who're you talking to?"   
  
Although she had expected this to come, no measure   
could prepare Kanna Rajura for the confirmation of   
what she didn't want to see: Christy, another girl her   
age that showed interest in David. She appeared in   
the living room in all her blonde disgustingness,   
looking as youthful as Kanna remembered.   
  
"Christy!" David exclaimed, "you remember Kanna,   
right?"   
  
For the first time it seemed that the air-headed   
girl noticed the guest. "Oh, hello, Kanna. Nice to   
see you."   
  
"'Nice to see you,' huh?" Kanna said in a low tone,   
getting up from her seat to face the girl. "What've   
you been doing with David while I was gone?"   
  
She hardly needed to hear the girl's answer, as   
Kanna realized what the pictures on top of the   
entertainment center were: wedding pictures, displayed   
in all their tantalizing, terrible glory.   
  
Christy stared not at the fuming girl, but at the   
death scythe she held in her hand. "Oh dear... you   
know that weapons are illegal?"   
  
"So SUE ME!!" Kanna yelled, her anger boiling over   
the top. "HOW COULD YOU, you... you... self-serving   
BITCH!!"   
  
"Now, Kanna...." David said, rushing to Kanna's   
side to calm her down, but the girl pushed him away.   
  
When Christy looked back the way she came, the   
warrior knew what was next in her thoughts: get to the   
telephone, and get help. Raising her naginata, she   
shouted, "DON'T budge, or I'll REALLY hurt you."   
  
Freezing in her tracks, Christy did what she was   
told, fear in her eyes. "N... no wonder they call you   
the 'Crystal Spider,'" she said in contempt. "All   
looks, but poison underneath!"   
  
"Kanna," David said again, "I'm going to have to ask   
you to leave."   
  
"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!!"   
  
Losing his composure easily, he quickly bolted back   
to his own seat, teeth chattering nervously.   
  
"Now," Kanna said calmly, "I'm going to be showing   
myself out, you hear?" Edging her way backward toward   
the front door slowly, she continued, "If you value   
your lives, you WON'T budge from your positions until   
five minutes after I'm gone. If you DO move, then   
you'll die. I really hope your 'benevolent' Queen   
Serenity allows people to die, otherwise you're going   
to be living rather painfully."   
  
Satisfied with herself, the Crystal Spider, true to   
her word, turned and walked out the door. She stared   
forward, never turning to look back and see if David or   
Christy moved from the view of the living room window.   
Crossing the street, she stopped just in front of the   
house opposite David's, and shouldered her death   
scythe.   
  
From around the corner she caught the glimpse of   
another. The newcomer tossed a small box-like device   
toward Kanna, who caught it easily. The device looked   
somewhat similar to a remote control as she extended   
the antenna attached to it, but it possessed only one   
large, red button on it.   
  
"I did what you asked," Pazuzu said, walking closer.   
The man was of similar age of Kanna, and dressed in a   
conspicuous black coat in a vain attempt to hide his   
own features. In the past Pazuzu was a fellow student   
at the Rajura Dojo, and he has since been doing odd   
jobs until Kanna approached him. "After this I'm   
washing my hands of the whole thing."   
  
"As I expect of you," replied the Crystal Spider.   
  
He pointed to the control. "Push once for each one   
in the link. I'll be seeing you around." Waving,   
Pazuzu took off the way whence he came, knowing that   
his old friend wanted to be alone.   
  
Kanna indeed wished to be alone, now that her last   
hope was shattered-- shattered in that house she looked   
at across the street. She had no doubt that the couple   
was too scared to move around, even if two minutes   
had not passed yet.   
  
"There's nothing left for me here," she decided.   
  
Lifting up the control, she jammed her thumb down on   
the button for the first time.   
  
She watched with a blank expression, devoid of   
emotion, as the master bedroom on the upper floor blew   
up in bright flares and flames. Kanna pushed the   
button a second time, blowing up the second explosive   
in the link hidden in an upstairs bathroom.   
  
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched the   
flames dance about, and Kanna pushed the button a   
third time, taking out the rest of the upstairs area.   
The fourth press destroyed the garage, and took all   
the car fuel with it. The fifth destroyed the dining   
room adjoining to the living room, and Kanna imagined   
that Christy and Davey were huddling, scared for their   
miserable lives.   
  
The sixth blast destroyed the downstairs bathroom,   
and the seventh took out the kitchen. Kanna knew there   
was only one set of explosives left-- the one wired   
under the living room, as she planned. She held out   
the remote control, pointing it toward the living   
room solemnly.   
  
And hesitated.   
  
She lowered her arm, and wiped away her tears on   
the sleeve of her dress. "I can't do it...." she   
said softly, dropping the control on the ground.   
  
Kanna reached for the purple crystal prism hanging   
from her sash, which matched perfectly with her own   
dress. Holding it tightly, she said, "I'm ready."   
  
No one saw the Crystal Spider's exit as her form   
dematerialized into blackness, then to nothingness. A   
short while later people from houses all around the   
neighborhood appeared to the sound of the explosions.   
From the house which Kanna was standing in front of a   
young boy ran out to the sidewalk, his eyes full of   
awe of the dancing flames. His attentions were soon   
caught by a shiny black remote control lying on the   
sidewalk. Picking it up, the boy, unable to resist,   
pushed the big red button.   
  
---   
  
Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo   
  
"My Queen!" a guardsman yelled, rushing into the   
throne room with great haste. "My Queen, something   
terrible has happened!"   
  
Standing up from her throne, Neo Queen Serenity   
wished she didn't have to hear a second piece of bad   
news on the same day. "Speak quickly!" she commanded.   
  
"News arrived from Iwata Prefecture!" the guardsman   
said, trying to catch his breath. "Reports of   
explosions and a fire in the residential district!"   
  
"What?!"   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis   
  
Kanna realized she wasn't the first to return to the   
citadel on Nemesis when she materialized in the great   
hall.   
  
"So you decided to come back, too?" Pantyhose Taro   
said, his arms folded. "Who would've thought that a   
girl with a lot going for her would decide to march on   
to fight!"   
  
"Oh, so you really DIDN'T have anything to do," Kanna   
bit back in reply. "How long did it take? A couple   
minutes?"   
  
Taro shook his head. "Everything seems wrong. I   
tried to find the old man, Happosai, but nobody knew   
where he was, or if he was even still alive. I went   
back home to China, and they said they'd gladly allow   
me to change my name."   
  
He looked upward at the star screen above. "And   
you know what, Kanna? I WANTED this all to happen, to   
be able to change my name to whatever I could! I could   
even get away with it, with the tearing-down of my   
tribal laws! I should've grasped it with all my   
heart and soul!"   
  
Looking back to Kanna, who hadn't said a word, he   
finished, "And the only thing that stopped me was one   
thing: I'd be living for the rest of my life in shame   
because I would know that I could not change my name   
within the bounds of the laws."   
  
"Then you, too, are doomed," the Crystal Spider   
realized, unwilling to offer her own reasons. Looking   
around, she asked, "Where's the others?"   
  
Taro shrugged. "Probably still down on Earth; not   
much you can do up here, really."   
  
"I had little to contribute down there," Kanna   
admitted, "but I'm guessing that the others are already   
thinking of our future. No matter what, I'm going to   
fight this Neo Queen Serenity."   
  
---   
  
Hikawa Shrine, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Sailor Mars felt a premonition, one so shocking that   
she lost her concentration in front of the flame.   
  
"It can't be!" she cried, even though no one could   
hear her while she was alone with the flame. Getting   
up to her feet quickly, the Sailor soldier of fire   
dashed out of the shrine structure quickly. Eyes   
followed her path as she quickly made her way through   
the courtyard and down the front steps.   
  
She stopped at the foot of the steps, looking left   
and right, catching the source of the closest black   
energy she could see. Although it did not match the   
signature she felt while in front of the flame, this   
one-- a girl of about twenty years dressed in a   
priestess robe similar to one Mars used to wear back   
in the old days-- was just as powerful. Her top was   
dyed pink, and decorated with cherry blossom patterns   
that were made up not of the traditional five petals,   
but of eight, the significance of which Mars could not   
determine.   
  
"You sensed my battle aura," Shizuka Minazuki said   
evenly to the sailor-suited soldier. "You must really   
be one of the so-called Sailor Senshi; I've been   
looking for you!"   
  
"I sense an evil aura!" accused Sailor Mars,   
realizing there was a crowd gathering to view the   
confrontation. "I don't know who you are or where you   
came from, but if it's a fight you want...!"   
  
"Such bold words!" mocked the priestess, laughing to   
herself. "Bold words for some sleazy prostitute who   
thinks she's a defender of justice because her skirt's   
too short."   
  
Mars felt her blood boiling, realizing that the   
enemy was mocking her. Despite that, she announced,   
"I'm the pretty sailor-suited soldier Sailor Mars! In   
defense of Crystal Tokyo and its people, I'll punish   
you!"   
  
Shizuka burst into all-out laugher when Mars worked   
up a pose with her speech. "Am I supposed to take you   
seriously?" She turned aside, revealing to Mars that   
there were two sheathed swords tied to her waist. "As   
you can see, I'm the one that's armed. Too bad you   
freaks got rid of all the weapons!"   
  
Unsheathing both blades quickly, holding them   
underhanded, the priestess of Genbu charged.   
  
Mars had no idea what to do when she saw the swords   
appear, but when Shizuka attacked she jumped straight   
up in the air, producing a paper talisman used for   
binding evil spirits. "Time to let out all that hot   
air of YOURS!" she cried, throwing the talisman down   
on the attacker.   
  
Unused to the non-attacking opponent's style,   
Shizuka had no time to react when the talisman struck   
her on the forehead. In unison the voices of those   
observing the battle gasped, just as Sailor Mars landed   
down behind Shizuka. Turning around, Mars expected,   
as usual, that her talisman put an end to the violent   
girl's reckless attacks.   
  
But to her shock Shizuka turned around, a smirk on   
her face. She ripped the talisman off her forehead   
as if it was only the annoying paper it was made of.   
  
"So," she said, "you're a priestess as well!"   
Laughing, Shizuka sheathed her swords, reaching up her   
sleeves for a talisman of her own. "If you're still   
actually using those, then there's no reason mine   
shouldn't work, either!"   
  
Tossing the talisman as if it were a rock, Shizuka   
shouted, "Go, beast Hydra! I summon thee!"   
  
But to the priestess's dismay and Mars's relief the   
talisman floated away in the air, like an ordinary   
piece of paper. "Looks like you don't have the fire!"   
taunted Mars, taking the verbal advantage for the   
first time.   
  
"Ah hell!" cursed the Genbu priestess. "That's just   
not fair!"   
  
"Now," Mars said rigidly, "are you going to come with   
me quietly, or should we do it the hard way?"   
  
"Hmm, hmmm," chuckled Shizuka, seemingly laughing at   
nothing, "just so I could become another one of your   
little re-educated people, eh?" Spinning around in a   
quick motion, the priestess whipped out a single-   
barrel, manual-loading shotgun in her hands. "I'll   
take it nice and hard!!"   
  
Mars leaped out of the way as the first shot rang   
by, until she realized that it might hit one of the   
onlookers. With a swift motion she threw off a quick   
firebolt in the direction of the bullet, smoking it   
into nothingness. But the delay was more than enough   
time for Shizuka to reload her weapon, and take aim.   
  
The two continued dancing about in this manner until   
both realized, at the same time, that Shizuka was   
going to lose eventually when she ran out of bullets.   
Taking that into consideration, the priestess of Genbu   
fired off one last shot, allowing Mars to destroy it,   
but instead of reloading the shotgun she threw a   
smoke bomb.   
  
Quickly smoke burst from the bomb, forcing Mars to   
cough and choke despite herself. She could barely   
hear the girl shout, "Airship, Priority One Extraction,   
NOW!!" A slight buzzing sound filled the air, but   
Mars was too busy coughing to notice where it was   
coming from.   
  
To her disappointment, when the smoke cleared,   
the sailor soldier could not see any sign of the black-   
hearted girl anywhere.   
  
"She's gone," Mars said to herself as she started   
back toward the Crystal Palace. "It's got to be the   
work of Death Phantom, as well as that premonition I   
had. But neither of those auras were like any I've   
fought before. Why didn't my talisman work on her?"   
  
They certainly were surrounded in the darkness,   
but they weren't really of the darkness, were they?   
she wondered silently.   
  
---   
  
Tendo Residence, Nerima District, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Ranma felt betrayed after listening to Akane's words.   
  
Left alone in Akane's room Ranma sat standing against   
the desk while Akane sat on the edge of her bed. When   
Kasumi first recognized the martial artist she   
immediately called the attention of the other members   
of the Tendo household, especially Akane. The entire   
family shared a good meal while catching up on old   
news over the past years, but it was after the   
formalities were over that Ranma and Akane had their   
talk.   
  
"Ranma, what's the matter?" asked Akane, having   
finished relating the events leading to the conclusion   
of the Black Moon War.   
  
"Something doesn't seem right," Ranma said   
cryptically, folding his arms. "I mean, all this stuff   
about peace and harmony sounds great, y'know, but if   
someone'd at least left a defense Black Moon wouldn't   
have been so much a problem."   
  
"Maybe," conceded Akane, "but they only got through   
because the Silver Crystal was gone for a moment."   
  
"That's just it, Akane!" the martial artist shouted   
in frustration. "Am I supposed to cock up and bathe   
in her purifying crystal's light just to let a silly   
little trinket protect you?"   
  
"But you'll feel better about yourself!" she   
insisted. "The purification process is minimal; you'll   
still be you...."   
  
"And that's the other thing!" he interrupted. "In   
all the time I've been here you haven't hit me once   
yet!" As if an idea struck him, he shouted, "Uncute,   
unsexy, tomboy girl!"   
  
While the martial artist expected a good thrashing,   
he was sorely disappointed as Akane fumed with anger.   
"Cut it out!"   
  
"Like that!" Ranma pointed out. "You used to hit me   
when I insulted you like that."   
  
"You didn't mean it!" Akane insisted. "I can tell!"   
  
"And I guess, just because you're 'pure,' you've   
got this insight into me, huh?"   
  
"Sure! I mean, no, but I know what you're feeling.   
It's what I felt before the Purification."   
  
"Don't you get it, Akane? You sold out!"   
  
Rising from his seated position, Ranma turned to   
stare out the window. "You gave up your fighting to   
live contently and peacefully while someone else is   
left to protect you-- and that isn't even me! Heck,   
EVERYBODY gave up like that so only one person could   
protect them. Lot of good that did, huh, if Black   
Moon got through her power."   
  
"Why're you acting so selfish?" demanded Akane. "I'm   
not yours to protect."   
  
"The point is, Akane, you, and anyone else, can't   
protect themselves!" the martial artist yelled. "No   
one should have to rely on another-- not just a girl or   
her shiny rock. What happened to relying on each   
other?"   
  
"We still do!" she insisted. "Everyone works   
together to further scientific research and raise the   
standards of living. Everyone's got jobs and there   
aren't any poor people anymore."   
  
"At the cost of your freedoms! This curse I have   
is all the insight I need to know that! I can't even   
go swimmin' anymore without going as a girl. You got   
it all by giving in."   
  
"Why're you so obsessed with protecting me?"   
  
But Ranma froze in his tracks, suddenly realizing   
that perhaps Akane was baiting him into a corner.   
"Uh...."   
  
"Ranma, I need to hear you say it."   
  
There's no way, he thought, no way! How could she   
know what my feelings are for her when... no, she   
really does love me! But, it was so forward, open,   
even... that's not like her. What am I going to...?   
  
"Akane," he found himself saying, "I...."   
  
"Ranma, listen to me," Akane requested seriously.   
"I love you."   
  
Taken aback, Ranma halted in his tracks, frozen like   
a statue.   
  
"Because of that, I understand how hard it is of you   
to accept everything that's happened, since we never   
shared those moments together. I'm hoping that you   
too will understand, and you'll accept things the way   
they are." She offered a hand. "Come with me to the   
Crystal Palace, and you can be purified. You can do   
this if you love me."   
  
Ranma started to reach out for Akane's hand, but   
hesitated. Withdrawing it completely, he sunk his   
head low. "I'm sorry, Akane, but I'm not buyin' it."   
  
"Huh?!" Akane gasped in confusion.   
  
"I can't leave my life in the hands of another   
person, especially someone I don't know," he explained.   
"Neo Queen Serenity, as you describe her, may be a   
good person'n all, but... it's not right. If you do   
know me, you know I do things myself."   
  
"Ranma...."   
  
He reached into his pocket, feeling the cool warmth   
of the crystal prism of Wiseman's. "I can't rest easy   
until I'm certain that I can protect you. I won't let   
anyone lay a hand on you. And, I won't get myself   
'purified....'"   
  
Taking a step back, Ranma tried to put a little   
distance between himself and Akane. He pulled out the   
crystal prism, holding it tightly in his fists, and   
felt it grow warmer.   
  
"...because I love you."   
  
He never saw Akane's reaction as reality faded from   
view, replaced by the blackness that enveloped him on   
the first trip between the planets Nemesis and Earth.   
Ranma silently pledged to himself that he would see to   
ensuring the future.   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis   
  
The martial artist felt no better about the events   
surrounding him when he materialized in the great hall   
of the old man's citadel.   
  
"Took you long enough, Femme-boy," greeted Taro in   
his usual manner.   
  
"Shaddap, Pantyhose Taro," Ranma shot back bitterly.   
  
"Hey, hey!" Kanna cried, stepping between the two   
with arms extended. "Now isn't the time! The old   
man's going to say something!"   
  
Both Ranma and Taro stared at each other for a   
moment, each deciding it wasn't worth it, and looked   
up to face the floating Wiseman, levitating in the   
air where only air occupied before. For the first   
time Ranma looked around the hall, and notice that,   
other than Kanna and Taro, the only others of the group   
of seventeen that were present were Sypha, the Chinese   
sorcerer (or necromancer, as he called her   
disrespectfully), and Ryoga, to which he was surprised   
to see.   
  
"Hey, Ryoga," Ranma said to his fellow martial   
artist. "What's up? Why're you still here?"   
  
"Likely the same reason as your own," Ryoga replied,   
and Ranma chose not to press the point further.   
  
"So what's up?" Kanna asked Wiseman.   
  
"We will be utilizing an Earth-based fortress as   
planned," Wiseman replied. "Sypha can tell you the   
rest."   
  
"Of course," Sypha said, bowing respectfully to the   
old man. "We met up with Shion and Ayame when we came   
to Crystal Tokyo, and they've managed to find a hidden   
fortress Mishima Heavy Industries left behind when   
they went belly-up."   
  
"Leave it to Ayame," Kanna said evenly.   
  
"From there it'll be a simple matter to keep tabs on   
what goes on in Crystal Tokyo, or anywhere else, for   
that matter," continued the sorcerer. "They're still   
trying to inventory resources, but they've let the   
others know of its existence. Already it's been used   
as a safe haven."   
  
"Yeah, for what?" snorted Taro.   
  
"When I was last there Shizuka got herself into a   
little trouble," Sypha answered, amusement in her   
voice. "Seems she was the first to run into one of the   
Sailor Senshi, and she wasn't exactly impressed."   
  
"And yet the little girl had to run away?" continued   
Taro.   
  
"Hey, she's only just turned twenty, y'know," Ranma   
said in her defense.   
  
"That was centuries ago!" Ryoga shouted in a   
depressed tone. "We're out of place in a world like   
this!!"   
  
"This isn't the time," complained Ranma.   
  
"If Piggy's going to get all worked up," Taro said,   
"why don't we just point him over to the Crystal   
Palace and have him blow up the place?"   
  
"The FORTRESS," Wiseman said, grabbing everybody's   
attention, "WILL be completed and furnished properly.   
Shortly we will all travel back to Earth to oversee the   
final preparations."   
  
"You're coming with us?" guessed Kanna.   
  
"That is correct," replied the ancient sorcerer.   
"Now that the Sailor Senshi are aware of us, thanks to   
your... eager friend, the time to act is now. I've   
come much too far, from beyond the grave and time, to   
lose it at this early a stage."   
  
---   
  
Mishima Heavy Industries, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Shizuka looked down on the glittering streets that   
made up the roads of Crystal Tokyo's industrial   
district from the top of the high-rise that served as   
Mishima Heavy Industries headquarters. The entire   
rooftop was flat, yet shining with the glistening   
reflected sunlight from above. The light clouds   
looked to be within arm's reach, the priestess thought,   
as she stared outward.   
  
Behind her was the airship she used to escape the   
encounter with Sailor Mars. A mechanical beast   
barely resembling a dragonfly, it was an airplane of   
sorts that looked more like a canoe with wings. Four   
flapping wings, just as a dragonfly's, rest folded up   
next to the body. While in flight the wings were   
extended outward and flapped like mad, producing an   
annoying buzzing sound, but miraculously keeping the   
airship in the air. The airship had no weapons to   
speak of, but according to Shion it responded   
intelligently to voice commands as well as manual   
input from a pilot.   
  
The priestess felt the tight squeeze of Thanatos on   
her left leg, feeling the boa constrictor climbing onto   
her. Without looking, she said, "It appears these   
Sailor Senshi are tougher than they look."   
  
Shizuka waited for a response, even though she knew   
one would never come-- at least, not from the snake.   
Reaching up her sleeve, she produced a summoning   
talisman, holding it between her index and middle   
fingers. She held it outward at arm's length, staring   
at the kanji that made up the talisman's power.   
  
"What am I, without my powers?" she asked Thanatos.   
"Back then I was too lazy to practice the sword, but   
it seems Miranda's right.... I've got to do things the   
old-fashioned way."   
  
Tossing the talisman into the air uselessly, Shizuka   
watched it get carried up by the wind. Blowing with   
the breeze in the high air the unspent talisman drifted   
away from her, making the priestess almost sorry she   
let it go. It began to drift downward, but the wind   
picked up, sending the useless paper up into the air   
and out of view.   
  
"I'll carve my own fate in this bizarre world," she   
resolved firmly, suddenly aware that the boa   
constrictor was coiling around her neck. "I'll fight,   
and keep on fighting, because it's the only thing I   
can do that's any good in this cra...!"   
  
Suddenly choking on her own words, the priestess   
grasped at the snake's slithering body where her neck   
was. "Hey!" she cried, "cut it out!"   
  
When the snake did not release his grip fast enough   
Shizuka began tugging at Thanatos's body with greater   
urgency, suddenly struggling for more air. In panic   
the boa constrictor clung onto the priestess tighter,   
further putting the two in deathlock, Shizuka falling   
forward in pain.   
  
Off the side of the building.   
  
In freefall, head first, the priestess released her   
desperate grip on the snake's body and instead grabbed   
his head, pulling it in front of her face. "NOW look   
what you made me do!!"   
  
---   
  
Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Alone in the council chambers with her four Sailor   
Senshi Neo Queen Serenity sat at the head of the   
rectangular crystal table that dominated the room,   
leaning on it with her elbows in thought. Seated to   
her left were Mercury and Mars, both of which were   
alerted to the crisis first-hand, while Venus and   
Jupiter, seated to the right of the queen, had to be   
called in from other duties.   
  
"Death Phantom has returned as promised," Neo Queen   
Serenity said, laying out the foundations of the   
emergency meeting. "He has returned to Nemesis as of   
late, and Mars has met one of his followers."   
  
"She looked and dressed like a priestess," Sailor   
Mars said, elaborating on the situation. "I tried   
using my spirit wards on her, but they didn't work."   
  
"But she shed an evil aura, right?" Jupiter asked.   
"Does that mean a priestess is immune to those kind of   
things?"   
  
Mars shook her head. "Definitely not. The talisman   
was designed to stun evil spirits, like the one her   
aura was giving off. So maybe it's a mask."   
  
"What's that?" asked Venus.   
  
"It means that she was hiding her true aura under one   
she wanted Mars to see," explained Mercury. "I don't   
understand why anyone would want to attract attention   
like that."   
  
"She wanted to meet her," Neo Queen Serenity   
realized. "These new people Death Phantom manipulated   
into his dark hand... they may be innocent compared to   
the Black Moon he corrupted before."   
  
"But where did they come from?" asked Mars, "and why   
are they showing up now? The entire Black Moon clan   
is living here on Earth now."   
  
The queen nodded. After the war brought about by   
Death Phantom's treachery ended Neo Queen Serenity   
ordered the current inhabitants of the black moon, the   
descendents of the exiles, to return to their living on   
Earth. While the Black Moon Family was suspicious of   
this, they were without their charismatic leader,   
Prince Diamond, or any of the other leaders-- all were   
killed or went missing during the war. Some of the   
holdouts felt shamed to be offered pity, since the one   
who killed their prince was showing mercy. A few   
others believed that Wiseman was not truly dead, and   
that he would return to avenge them all, while   
disbelieving the possibility that the prince's advisor   
would betray his own people. In the end all of them   
accepted purification for the chance to live on Earth,   
as their ancestors wished.   
  
Yet the reasoning behind accepting the exiles'   
descendants was threefold. One, Neo Queen Serenity   
felt those people could not be punished any more, and   
the healing had to start between Earth and Black Moon.   
Second, it gave scientists the chance to study the   
dark planet first-hand. It also left open the chance   
that colonization could begin, starting from Nemesis.   
Third, and more importantly, she wanted to make sure   
that no threat could spawn from Nemesis again, as the   
war proved to be exceedingly close. If there was one   
good thing that came out of the war, it was that Neo   
Queen Serenity recognized that all threats must be   
accounted for in advance.   
  
Mentally, she filed a reminder in her mind to order   
a watch put on the former Black Moon people, in case   
they were somehow aiding Death Phantom.   
  
"There may be an answer," Mercury offered. "I took   
the liberty of looking up on some of the Black Moon   
lore the Nemesis expeditions retrieved from the tenth   
planet, and I believe I've found something."   
  
"Like what?" Jupiter wondered.   
  
"There's mention of a warrior status," she continued.   
"Apparently in the original Nemesian civilization   
their self-sufficiency was what they prized most of   
themselves, and fighting was one of those things they   
valued. It seems that, out of the entire warrior   
population, seventeen are chosen by the ruler of   
Nemesis to be his Honor Guard... or, as the books put   
it, the Fenril Knights."   
  
"Fenril Knights?" echoed Mars.   
  
"Sounds like a play on the name of the Norse myth's   
Fenris wolf," Venus said. "It's a legend of a wolf   
that was supposed to kill the Midgard Dragon circling   
the World Tree, but got bit by the serpent, and turned   
evil."   
  
"If that has any indication," the queen considered,   
"then could the 'Midgard Dragon' be Death Phantom?"   
  
"I don't know," admitted Venus. "After that I just   
know that Midgard is supposed to be Earth."   
  
"The Fenril are supposed to rise up for war," Mercury   
added. "They died out with the original civilization   
when the Moon Kingdom crushed them along with their   
Black Crystal, but since the Black Crystal has returned   
it's not too far to guess the warriors have returned as   
well."   
  
"Could they be reincarnations of the original Fenril   
Knights?" asked the queen. "The same way we were   
reincarnated from the Moon Kingdom?"   
  
Mercury shrugged. "It's certainly possible, but I   
can't find any mention of reincarnation as part of the   
Nemesian culture. From what we know their warriors   
were willing to die for their master, and it was   
considered disrespectful to disturb the honored dead."   
  
"They could be new people," Venus suggested.   
  
"So wait a minute," Jupiter said, interrupting.   
"If Death Phantom really is following the Black Moon   
history as Mercury thinks, then there should be   
seventeen of them, right? Mars's only seen one, and   
that's the priestess. Where's the other sixteen?"   
  
"That's something we'll have to find out," Mars said   
with resolve. "We weren't ready for war before, but   
this time it'll be different. Death Phantom will wish   
he'd never come back."   
  
---   
  
Mishima Heavy Industries, Crystal Tokyo   
  
None of the occupants of the core made any mention   
of the priestess's arrival when Shizuka entered, a limp   
Thanatos in her arms with a tight bandage wound around   
his head.   
  
Plopping the unconscious snake down on the terminal   
next to Shion's, Shizuka wiped her hands, and sighed.   
  
"Had a nice trip?" Shion asked without looking up.   
  
"Very funny," the priestess replied, too dry for   
humor. "So what did I miss?"   
  
The hacker whipped out a pen, and pointed to the   
monitor in front of him. The display, from what   
Shizuka could tell, was a list of some sort. "I think   
I found something very interesting here."   
  
"How about something more useful than the airships?"   
the priestess asked. "Like an actual weapon?"   
  
Shion shook his head. "Not yet; I've got to get   
past the multi-layered encryption schemes for the   
really top-top stuff. This's just the list of names of   
all the top minds of the three Industries. They   
must've banded together in their last hours."   
  
"Strange, that," Ayame said, looming over Shion   
without letting either he or Shizuka to notice. "In   
their desperation three rivals joined forces to put   
together this grand scheme. All just for me."   
  
"Weren't you going to be wed off to Kanzaki, too?"   
asked the hacker.   
  
"That's only speculation!" she insisted.   
  
Shizuka peered at the monitor closely. "I don't   
recognize any of these.... What does it mean, by   
marking them as 'stasis?'"   
  
Shion smiled, obviously amused by the priestess's   
sudden interest in his work. "Likely it means that   
all those guys are sleeping, waiting for the day to   
wake and work for us again."   
  
"So you're saying the eggheads are still around   
somewhere," Ayame guessed. "That's good; at least we   
won't have to develop new weapons ourselves."   
  
"Oh, but there's more!" Shion said with excitement.   
"Not only does it reveal the names, it also gives us a   
location. We should be able to get these guys up and   
on our side in no time."   
  
"I see you are making progress," an deep voice said   
from behind.   
  
Ayame jumped, surprised that someone snuck up on her   
for a change. "W... Wiseman?!"   
  
The hooded sorcerer hovered closer to Ayame. "Have   
the others been accounted for?"   
  
Fully turning her attentions toward the newcomer,   
allowing Shion to go about his business, she answered,   
"We haven't heard from some of them. They may still be   
out looking, or they're just waiting. Or something."   
  
---   
  
10th Street District, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Most people fled for their lives when the explosion   
erupted in the middle of the empty street, seemingly   
spontaneously. Those who did not have the sense to   
flee stared at the rising smoke in awe and curiosity,   
wondering what could have caused the explosion. Some   
speculated that it could be a freak explosion of a   
leftover Black Moon weapon, while others thought a   
utility box blew, but only one man knew the truth.   
  
Mousse folded his arms within the sleeves of his   
robe, and smiled from his vantage point on the   
rooftops. "Come and get me, Sailor Senshi," he yelled   
aloud, "come and face your greatest enemy yet!"   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes  
  
The first in this miniseries dealing with the   
conclusion of the story that began in "The Geometry of   
Shattered Souls" and continued in "The Geometry of   
Vanished Souls," both of which can be found on my web   
site. It pits the Souls characters with the "Wheel of   
Fire" cast, a Ranma 1/2 fanfic of my own.   
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	2. Mercury Rising

Souls of Fire #2: Mercury Rising   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
This story follows the story set forth by "The   
Geometry of Shattered Souls" and "The Geometry of   
Vanished Souls," both available at my web site.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
10th Street District, Crystal Tokyo   
  
The moment Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus teleported   
to the explosion's source they were immediately   
confronted by the man who summoned them. Dressed in   
very loose, Chinese-style white robes, he possessed   
long, dark hair that fell all the way to his waist,   
and wore thick-lens glasses that concealed his eyes.   
He folded his arms, standing as if he was tapping his   
foot on the ground impatiently, but it soon transformed   
into mild amusement.   
  
"So," Mousse shouted, "you've finally arrived."   
  
Venus cast her eyes in the direction of the source of   
the explosion, a seemingly random location in the   
middle of the street in front of the martial artist.   
"You're the one who set off that pipe bomb?" she asked,   
although she already knew the answer.   
  
He shrugged. "How else was I supposed to get the   
attention of the so-called Sailor Senshi I've been   
hearing so much about?" Mousse took two confident   
steps forward, noticing his adversaries were tensing   
themselves up. Good; they won't be pushovers. "I   
merely wish to introduce myself to the law of the land   
before I... well... run amok?"   
  
"What do you want?" asked Jupiter. "Are you one of   
the Fenril Knights?"   
  
"'Fenril Knights?'" echoed Mousse, raising an eyebrow   
at the mention of the name. "Is that what you're   
calling us? If I remember the books it's no more than   
a mangling of a translation for the Fenris wolf." He   
turned his side toward them in consideration.   
  
"He's got that down pat," Venus whispered to her   
partner.   
  
A glint of light reflected off his glasses. "The   
wolf is said to be the traitor of its cause; no sooner   
have we returned home we are branded traitors!" He   
unfolded his arms, reaching for some weapons up his   
sleeves as he faced the Sailor Senshi. "If this is the   
welcome we're getting for coming home, then this is not   
my Earth at all!!"   
  
Both Jupiter and Venus dodged to opposite sides as   
Mousse threw his surprisingly fast chain onslaught,   
merely tethered weapons. Retracting his weapons   
quickly he caught motion from Jupiter, the tougher-   
looking of the two, ready to get into close quarter   
combat, something the weapons master wished to avoid.   
He leaped back just in time to avoid a fist into the   
gut, his tethered weapons trailing behind, but the   
soldier was quick enough to avoid their drag.   
  
Mousse tossed three knives in Venus's direction, but   
she was no longer there by the time they got to where   
she stood. Venus raised a hand in the air, ripping an   
energy chain into existence, lashing it out at the   
martial artist. Countering, Mousse threw out a leather   
whip of his own, snagging the energy chain but opening   
himself up to a deep kick from Jupiter. Doubling back,   
he released his hold on the whip, quickly slipping on   
wrist razors and slashing at Jupiter.   
  
"I won't lose to some girls!" Mousse hissed, swinging   
his wrist razors at Jupiter madly. He threw a vertical   
kick with his leg, catching her square in the jaw and   
sending her flying. Glad for the temporary breathing   
room the victory was cut short when his left arm got   
caught in Venus's chain.   
  
"For one guy," she shouted as the weapons master   
tugged against her chain, "you're a heck of a lot of   
trouble!"   
  
"Let go!" demanded Mousse. In desperation he threw   
out his wrist razor, now tethered to a chain of its   
own, toward Venus. In panic she let go of the chain,   
allowing it to wink out of existence, just in time to   
avoid the attack.   
  
Pressing his advantage Mousse grabbed several more   
chains, swinging them at his sides, trying to   
anticipate Venus's next move. But a sudden shocking   
jolt ran up his spine and through his arms, amplified   
off the metal hidden on his body. He cried out in pain   
as he suddenly remembered Jupiter, cursing that he   
turned his back toward her.   
  
He collapsed face first on the ground, feeling the   
moisture of his body evaporate in the air around him.   
Eyes to the crystal pavement, he could hear the echoes   
of the Senshi move closer toward him, albeit cautiously   
and carefully.   
  
"Is it over?" wondered Venus.   
  
"I guess so," answered Jupiter. "That was a lot   
easier than I thought it would be."   
  
Silently, Mousse cursed himself again. Is this the   
way the great Mousse was going to go down? he   
wondered. Beaten by not just one girl, but TWO girls?   
  
"Leave Mousse alone!"   
  
He heard both girls gasp at once at the sound of the   
newcomer's voice. Although his head was still down,   
and he ached all over his body, Mousse knew exactly who   
the voice belonged to.   
  
"If this is the way you Senshi fight," Shampoo   
challenged, waving a sword their direction, "then   
Shampoo will gladly accept the challenge!"   
  
"'Shampoo?'" muttered Jupiter. "Great, there's   
another one."   
  
"Careful, Jupiter!" warned Venus. "She's had plenty   
of time to watch us by now!"   
  
"Shampoo..." Mousse moaned, planting his fists   
against the earth.   
  
"He's getting up?!" he heard Jupiter say, surprised.   
"This guy IS tough!"   
  
Struggling despite himself, Mousse slowly pulled   
himself to his feet, head hung low. He took in several   
deep breaths, slowly backing away from the two Senshi   
and toward Shampoo, surprised they allowed him to even   
get that far.   
  
Only then, when he felt Shampoo at his side, did he   
look up.   
  
"Stupid Mousse," hissed Shampoo quietly. "Why did   
you try to fight them alone?! Great-grandmother said   
they were reputed to be stronger than we are!"   
  
"And now we know for sure!" he pointed out. He   
pointed a finger toward Jupiter with one hand, while   
quietly slipping a heavy glove in his other. "That one   
is mine!"   
  
"If that's what you want," she replied with a shrug,   
switching hands with her sword as she stared down   
Venus.   
  
"They're planning something," Venus knew, whispering   
to Jupiter. "Stay on your toes; that guy she called   
Mousse looks like he wants you, and that worries me."   
  
"Normally I'd think guys like him would be afraid,"   
Jupiter agreed. "With all those metal weapons on him   
my lightning attacks are doubly effective. I can't   
figure out what could be so different this time!"   
  
"We'll find out soon enough!"   
  
---   
  
Throne Room, Crystal Palace   
  
"They appear to be still fighting," Mercury said   
aloud, as she, Mars, and Queen Serenity watched the   
battle on a holographic projection screen in the middle   
of the throne room. "The Fenril's reinforcement seemed   
to invigorate him somehow, but I detected no magic."   
  
"Then they're superior martial artists," Mars   
realized. "Fighting as a pair, they likely complement   
each other in the way they fight. Their feelings for   
each other could be strong enough to be the spontaneous   
boost the guy showed just now."   
  
"Death Phantom apparently is not resorting to magical   
warriors or droids this time around," Neo Queen   
Serenity thought aloud. "If the three Fenril Knights   
we have seen so far are any indication of what the   
others might be...."   
  
"There's no use speculating unless we determine what   
it is they're after," Mercury interrupted. "All of our   
previous enemies have been after specific targets, but   
so far these Fenril don't appear to be after anything."   
  
"So why don't we capture one of them?" asked Mars.   
"If I can catch the other girl...."   
  
"What makes you think she'll be back?" asked Mercury.   
  
"She knows what I am, but not who," answered the   
other Senshi. "I'm a rival priestess, and that's all   
the reason in the world she has to come after me. I   
don't know what faction she belongs to, but whatever it   
is it's enough to get her riled up about the fire   
spirits."   
  
"Wait, I have an idea."   
  
"What is it, Mercury?" asked the queen.   
  
"Mars said the Fenril didn't know who she was," she   
explained. "It either means Death Phantom didn't tell   
them, or it never came up. Maybe he's not concerned   
at all about it. Whatever the case, so long as they   
are unaware of our alternate identities, we can use it   
to our advantage."   
  
"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking,   
are you?" asked Mars.   
  
Mercury nodded. Turning toward the queen, she said,   
"I would like permission to infiltrate the Fenril   
Knights' ranks."   
  
Serenity nodded. "I will assume you have a plan, but   
how do you know if they will be looking for people?"   
  
"If the pattern follows," she explained, "then Death   
Phantom is recruiting people from normal walks of life   
with amazing talent. In other words, it's likely they   
will be looking for more people to take up their cause   
from the world's populace. If I can successfully do   
this then we will have a better idea of what we're up   
against."   
  
"But Death Phantom isn't a normal person," Mars said,   
concerned. "If he sees through your disguise then   
you're through."   
  
"On the other hand," Neo Queen Serenity interrupted,   
"our enemy has not made his presence known; perhaps it   
is likely that his attention is elsewhere. If Mercury   
is willing to take the chance, I see no reason to hold   
her back."   
  
Mercury bowed respectfully. "Thank you."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Well, it's sure taking them long enough," Shion   
commented, stuffing his face with a bag of chips as he   
sat at his chair, staring at the monitor before him.   
  
Ayame leaned over the back of his seat. She squinted   
at the monitor, barely making out Shampoo, Mousse, and   
their adversaries. "Egh, how can you see anything on   
this thing?"   
  
"I've got good money on Mousse," the mercenary hacker   
declared. "Ditto for Shampoo."   
  
"Why Mousse?" she asked. "He lost the first round."   
  
"Don't worry," he replied, stuffing his face some   
more. "He ront rose urist time."   
  
"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Ayame demanded,   
slapping Shion in the back and forcing him to spit out   
his chips. "How am I supposed to tell what you're   
saying?!"   
  
As Shion coughed up the rest of his snacks the double   
doors hissed behind the two techies, allowing Shizuka,   
with her boa constrictor wrapped around her body, to   
enter.   
  
"Tatewaki's found the eggheads," she reported.   
"Their cryo-revival is beginning as we speak."   
  
"That was fast," admitted Shion.   
  
"What'd you expect," replied the priestess of Genbu.   
"They're only a couple floors down."   
  
"There's MORE floors down?" Ayame gasped. "How many   
did Uncle put into this?!"   
  
"I'll let you know once I look at the blueprints,"   
Shion offered, turning his attention back to the   
action.   
  
But his entertainment was interrupted yet again as   
Ayame grabbed his shirt and dragged him to his feet.   
"I've been on the job for no more than a week and I   
still don't know everything about Uncle's storehouse,   
much less the bathroom! So you're going to conjure up   
those blueprints, and you're going to show me them   
NOW."   
  
Shizuka took an involuntary step back, raising her   
hands. "Hey, hey! No one's contesting you're the   
leader...."   
  
Ayame's eyes were torn from Shion to Shizuka. "Well,   
since I AM your leader... I want to know what the   
others are up to. We're going to put this operation   
into one big functional clockwork, you see? I don't   
want any more of our people goofing off," she nodded   
her head toward the monitor, "like they are!"   
  
Throwing Shion back into his seat, she ordered,   
"Issue the recall order."   
  
---   
  
10th Street District, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Mousse laughed to himself as he pulled Jupiter in   
with his chains, watching as the Senshi futily tried to   
shock him again. Thanks to his gloves the insulation   
spared him the trouble. He glanced in Shampoo's   
direction, watching briefly as her sword met with   
Venus's own energy blade, and while it appeared neither   
held an advantage Mousse knew Shampoo would win.   
  
"It's over for you!" he shouted toward Jupiter.   
  
"There's one thing you didn't think of, surfer-boy!"   
she shouted back.   
  
Mousse's eyes widened when the unthinkable happened;   
the taut chains slackened as Jupiter ran toward him, a   
fist raised. He swung his head to the side as the fist   
zoomed by, then ducked under the second one. Mousse   
rammed his head into Jupiter's chest, pushing her back   
a bit but giving himself a good headache in return.   
  
Stumbling back, he heard someone say, "Mousse,   
Shampoo, get back here at once!"   
  
He shook his head, tightening his hold on his chains.   
"Who the...?!"   
  
"Who said that!" shouted Shampoo, parrying another   
blow from Venus.   
  
"Withdraw from the fight at once," both warriors   
heard. "It is time to regroup."   
  
"But we're winning!" complained the weapons master.   
  
Without warning Mousse's chains disappeared from   
around Jupiter, along with the martial artist himself,   
his form slipping into blackness that vanished into   
thin air. Shampoo saw this, cursing under her breath.   
  
Leaping away from Venus and clear from Jupiter,   
Shampoo pointed her sword at her opponents. "This   
isn't over yet!" she shouted, just before vanishing   
herself.   
  
Venus lowered her guard when the second of the Fenril   
vanished. "They've escaped!"   
  
"They were getting the upper hand on us, too,"   
admitted Jupiter. "Why'd they leave all of a sudden?"   
  
Frustrated, Venus raised an angry fist. "It was a   
spurt of power that appeared suddenly... something we   
never fought before! How did they get so strong in   
such a short amount of time?"   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Why'd you bring us back?!" demanded Mousse as he   
stepped down into the central control center, dragging   
his chains behind him.   
  
"Just what did you think you were doing?" asked   
Ayame, her back turned toward him, facing the main   
monitor. A large, stylized 'M' shaped resembling a   
bat, could be clearly seen on the back of her lab   
coat. "No one gave you authorization to attack."   
  
"Who died and made you leader?!" Shampoo replied,   
still holding out her sword.   
  
"We could've finished them!" added Mousse.   
  
"And that's the reason you're not leader, and I am!"   
the niece of Mishima thundered angrily. She turned   
around, fury in her eyes, just as an amplification of   
said face duplicated itself behind her on the main   
monitor. "Have you ever thought about the consequences   
of your actions while you were fighting them? No, you   
didn't; you wanted to prove how large your schtick   
was."   
  
Immediately Shampoo was at Ayame's throat, holding   
her blade steady under the girl's chin. "We respect no   
one like you who are too weak to fight!"   
  
"And where you have brawn I make up in brains,"   
countered Ayame. "Or, rather, my associates do." She   
glanced in Shion's direction, along with Kanna, who was   
standing next to his chair. "Leaders aren't the ones   
who can fight the best; leaders are the ones who can   
control them."   
  
"You can't control us!" Mousse countered. "I've   
never seen you pull your weight around here!"   
  
"Look around you, Mousse," she suggested. "Look at   
this splendid facility that'll be your new home. It's   
mine, and mine alone; I hold the key to its survival   
and its destruction. Eliminate me from the equation,   
and you can kiss future encounters with the Sailor   
Senshi good-bye, because even warriors need a home to   
go back to."   
  
"I inherited the industrial empire of Japan's three   
largest manufacturing and development firms," Ayame   
continued. "I, and I alone, have that which will serve   
as the vehicle of our deliverance from this living   
Hell, and you know it. If you think you can beat the   
Senshi on your own, feel free to walk out that door   
and never come back. I assure you, in isolation you   
will be destroyed."   
  
"Not to mention we now control the prism switchboard   
system," she added proudly. "Thanks to work around the   
clock we no longer require the old man's help in using   
the prisms; we concocted a control mechanism in this   
very room that taps into the undercurrent that controls   
the prisms' power. Just as your forced trip, Mousse,   
we can dictate where you go and when you're coming   
back. Any advantage you believed you had will be   
regulated at a touch of a button."   
  
"So, now, my friends, will you join the rest of us,   
or die miserably alone?"   
  
Shampoo snarled angrily, whipping her sword back   
away from Ayame's throat. "You win for now!" she   
hissed.   
  
Mousse, having finished retracting his chains, raised   
an angry fist. "We'll go your way for now, but next   
time you'd better not get in our way."   
  
"At least that's settled," Kanna declared. "Now we   
can finish business, shall we?"   
  
Ayame turned toward the tactician's direction. "Yes.   
I want to know how many of us there's left to   
collect."   
  
"Nearly all of us are accounted for," Shion said.   
"However, some of our number are at varying degrees of   
health; Ryoga doesn't look like he's doing so well, so   
he's resting in the med ward for now."   
  
"Regrettable," Ayame said with a nod. "If that's   
all...?"   
  
"So far only Ukyo is unaccounted for; the rest have   
checked in at least once," continued Shion. "Of   
course, not everybody's in the compound at the moment,   
and are probably just wandering around town or   
something. Shizuka is still under lockdown, and   
remains within the premises."   
  
"Acceptable for now," Ayame replied. "We'll have to   
assume Kuonji deserted; right now we've got to focus on   
getting this place cleaned up and organized." Turning   
toward the two Chinese warriors she added, "And you   
two'd better stay out of trouble. Better yet, stay out   
of sight and lay low. The Senshi will surely be   
looking out for you now, thanks to your thoughtless   
fight. Consider yourselves under lockdown; you are not   
to leave this building, nor make yourselves known; is   
that understood?"   
  
She turned away as the two warriors grumbled under   
their breaths, barely out of her hearing range.   
  
That's the second one, she counted mentally. Thanks   
to those two and Shizuka, any chance of surprise we   
might've had is gone. Anything we do now will have to   
be done carefully, with machine-like precision, but it   
will be difficult amidst the chaos of all these people   
with big egos.   
  
And that's the trouble with being the leader, she   
decided. I've got to keep all their egos in check,   
including my own. I have to detach myself, make myself   
as efficient as the machines Uncle created, if we're to   
succeed.   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Chamber, Mishima Heavy Industries,   
Five Days Later   
  
Throughout the rest of the exploration of the   
underground Mishima complex more rooms turned up,   
among them the hidden weapons promised by Ayame's   
uncle in his initial note. Many others were discovered   
as well, even a section devoted to living quarters, and   
a spoiled food supply, which had to be replaced rather   
discretely through numerous, spaced shopping trips.   
  
Some rooms were set aside for specific purposes, but   
one in particular, spaced well away from any of the   
other living quarters and supply bays was an isolated   
room, likely originally an indoor shrine for the   
superstitious. This room was set aside for the comings   
and goings with the reclusive Wiseman, who rarely made   
his presence known, much less remained within the   
Mishima compound. Few speculated where the old man   
went, but popular theory held he was hiding out back at   
his citadel on Nemesis. However, when he did come to   
the compound the so-called Fenril were always ready to   
hear him out.   
  
This time Ayame entered the chamber, flanked by   
Pantyhose Taro to her right, and the equally reclusive   
Cinder on the left. When the door slid itself shut   
behind them Wiseman raised his head from his pondering   
of the crystal ball in his lap.   
  
"What have you to report on the progress of our work   
here?" asked Wiseman.   
  
"Our people are getting restless," Ayame reported.   
"I think we're set up as well as we should be. The men   
we woke from the cryo-stasis are the top scientists and   
engineers of this company, and they are busy working   
around the clock to devise new weapons. However, that   
will take time, and, as I said, our people are getting   
quite restless."   
  
"I can only tolerate sitting around for so long, old   
man!" complained Taro. "What makes you think you can   
keep us cloistered here, our hands tied from battle?!"   
  
"I have been pondering the situation," Wiseman   
replied, "and there is merit to your words. The time   
to act is now." He waved a hand over the crystal ball,   
allowing its misty contents to stir and morph into the   
shape of a demonic face. "The secret of Black Moon   
droid manufacture is now being imparted upon you.   
These living soldiers have the strength and will to   
fight on their own, and will serve you well."   
  
"What makes you think our own GAIA-class machines   
aren't enough?!" demanded Ayame hotly. "We're   
manufacturing more of them as we speak!"   
  
"Do you intend to wipe out the city with them?"   
  
"No, but...."   
  
"That is the sole purpose of your machinery. They   
differentiate nothing between targets because they   
cannot think for themselves. Furthermore, you have no   
goal from which to divert their attention to."   
  
Ayame was at a loss for words, but Cinder spoke up   
for her. "That may be so, but we have determined a   
means to open dimensional rifts."   
  
"Explain," ordered Wiseman.   
  
"The weave we draw upon magic from in this world is   
limited," the fire master explained. "As evidenced   
earlier apparently Neo Queen Serenity also controls the   
coveted Gate of Heaven, thus cutting off   
extradimensional sources of power. We need this power   
to refuel our own powers to fight back."   
  
"I draw upon a different weave, and so do the Senshi   
of Crystal Tokyo," Wiseman said. "So do your own. I   
see no point in bringing in extradimensional forces."   
  
"We have allies and comrades on the other side of the   
Gate," added Cinder. "Also, with the Gate, we can   
access the shadow stream, an immense source of power   
from which Hokuto can draw upon. All we need to do is   
force open a rift."   
  
"How can this be done?"   
  
"Tearing a hole in the dimensional fabric is beyond   
human technology at the moment," admitted Cinder, "but   
technology alone... no, we will combine magic with   
technology. Driving a device by two complementary   
means, so to speak; energy is energy, no matter how you   
look at it. Already we are drawing up designs to build   
this new techno-magical engine, borrowing aspects from   
sorcery, human technology, and kami imagination. But,   
we are striving to seek a source power; nothing we know   
of is enough to power such an engine for extended   
periods of time."   
  
"If it is an energy source you seek, there is but one   
that will suffice for your needs," declared Wiseman.   
He waved his hand over the crystal ball again, this   
time revealing a red, crystalline jewel, a radiating   
point glowing at its symmetrical center.   
  
"Wow," Ayame said, "that's beautiful!"   
  
"It is a pure heart crystal," explained the old man.   
"They are mystical, physical representations of the   
purity in a human's heart, and it is a drive as well as   
a gift. Due to its purity the intensity of its power   
is unparalleled."   
  
"So how much energy output does one heart yield?"   
asked Ayame. "That'll matter because the engine is an   
energy hog."   
  
"Depending on the crystal you will have to determine   
that on your own," Wiseman replied. "Your engine may   
require many tens of crystals of similar purity   
depending on your make."   
  
"Hang on," interrupted Taro. "You said these are   
human hearts? What makes you think I'm getting my   
hands dirty enough for that?"   
  
"You're not going to rip them out," snapped Wiseman.   
"I will provide you with special instrumentation that   
will allow you to extract the heart crystals without   
penetrating the body. This leaves the body perfectly   
intact, but the heart crystal fully functional. Any   
problem you have with this is moot."   
  
"Right, so where'd we find people with a pure enough   
heart?" asked Ayame.   
  
"That is up to you."   
  
"What?!" cried the tech. "You're going all this way   
and then stopping short?"   
  
"I have business to attend to."   
  
"Never mind that," Cinder interrupted. "This is our   
engine, and we are going to complete it ourselves."   
  
---   
  
Training Hall, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ranma sank his knuckles into the punching bag,   
venting all his frustrations into the final blow.   
Not surprisingly, the martial artist's fist went   
straight through the suspended bag, sending stuffing   
flying in all directions.   
  
"That's the seventeenth one you busted," noted   
Mousse dryly, standing against the wall on the same   
side as the single exit, his arms folded.   
  
He withdrew his fist slowly. "I can't stand this!"   
Ranma declared. "What in the world am I supposed to   
do, anyway?"   
  
"If all you can do is train and break punching bags,   
consider it your new hobby," Mousse snorted. "I'm   
waiting to be let out of this rat hole. At least you   
can get up and leave the building."   
  
"And go where?!" he screamed. "Back to Akane? Back   
to my family? How can I, when they're not the people   
I remembered?" Ranma threw a spin kick, thoroughly   
dislodging the suspended punching bag from the ceiling   
and vaulting it a few meters away. "Nothing's the   
same anymore, and we can't go back to the way things   
were! It's like waking up to a nightmare."   
  
"Everybody else is gearing up to fight," the Master   
of Hidden Weapons pointed out. "Excepting you and a   
couple others, of course."   
  
"What good'll that do?" asked Ranma. "What're we   
supposed to do, overthrow a world power? Sure, you   
guys can do all your terrorist bulb all you like, but   
it's not gonna matter. Why are we doing it,   
anyway?"   
  
"Because we're going to put things back the way they   
were," Mousse replied. "Because it's the only thing we   
can do to cling to our values and ways. Because... if   
we didn't have anything else better to do, we'd be   
sulking like you and Ryoga are."   
  
Ranma lowered his fists. "Get out."   
  
Mousse snorted, but the sliding doors of the training   
hall slid open nonetheless, followed by his silent   
footsteps.   
  
"I need to fight," he decided, certain that no one   
was listening in. "Mousse is right; I can't be like   
Ryoga, not now. The others might've found their   
direction, but I need to know... somehow... that the   
path I chose is the right one."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
The chief engineer, Philip Taydome, appeared on the   
monitor in front of Shion, looking no older than when   
the mercenary last remembered. Being a part of the   
team that was frozen in stasis under the compound the   
robotics engineer was responsible for the creation of   
Mishima Heavy Industries' most successful war machines,   
particularly the GAIA combat robot that could fight on   
its own.   
  
"Well, kid," the American-born engineer said, "it's a   
tall order you've given us. I don't know if we can   
actually build it."   
  
"Trust me, with all this techno-magical stuff we're   
digging up, anything's possible," Shion replied.   
  
"We're going to try and build the engine first,"   
Taydome said. "After we see the power output I think   
we can start building your machine."   
  
"Build something other than the Mekani engine, okay?"   
suggested the mercenary. "Ayame said we need some   
heart crystal whatevers to power it, and that's   
something we don't have at the moment."   
  
"Alternate power sources, eh?"   
  
Shion shrugged. "'Energy is energy.' You figure it   
out."   
  
"Did Ms. Mishima approve of this project?"   
  
"Not yet. I expect you to keep it under wraps until   
you can produce a result. Consider it a surprise."   
  
---   
  
10th Street Market, 10th Street District   
  
Her name was Ami while not taking up her role as a   
Sailor Senshi, and it was the role she was taking now   
that she reintegrated herself into society.   
  
Although she felt reasonably comfortable in walking   
in the streets as the girl she once was, Neo Queen   
Serenity insisted that Ami take more careful measures   
to guard her identity from the Fenril Knights. Ami,   
however, pointed out that the enemy may be able to   
detect the more thorough illusions easily, considering   
they have one such as Death Phantom backing them. As a   
compromise they settled on using the Disguise Pen in a   
light manner, using just enough of its power to mask   
Ami's identity just enough that it would take   
conscious effort to see through the disguise, but not   
enough that the magic field would be screaming in the   
face of anyone looking for one.   
  
Other people paid her no mind as Ami squeezed into a   
role as a substitute teacher at her old school. By   
most outward appearances she was no more spectacular   
than any other teacher, and that was the way she wanted   
it. Although Mars doubted that any of the Fenril would   
think to cross the school grounds, Ami was sure she   
would at least draw enough attention that they would   
come.   
  
She wanted to believe that a genius instructor would   
get at least one of the Fenril interested, at least.   
  
Her patience was rewarded quickly, however, as on the   
fourth day of her tenure someone appeared, an observer   
of the school. The man appeared much older than she   
was, possessing a modest white beard and cold,   
calculating eyes. The old man dressed in a rather   
conservative business suit, which appeared rather odd   
on him to Ami, and he constantly waved a white feather   
fan in his hand, even though the weather regulation   
system produced no such heat to require fanning.   
  
For the first two days the observer, Higure, poked   
his heads into the classrooms from time to time, always   
quickly and quietly. On the third day, however, Ami   
noted that the observer was keeping a watchful eye on   
her, but he still did not say a word. It was then she   
was certain that the old man was a Fenril Knight.   
  
As she walked from the school grounds at the end of   
the school day Ami couldn't help but feel like she was   
being watched, even though she couldn't see the old   
man anywhere. It was likely paranoia, she decided, or   
a thrilling rush of excitement, something that was   
lacking these days. The thought of getting caught, or   
perhaps the idea that she could succeed, filled her   
mind, bringing back memories of the old days.   
  
Her thoughts were torn away, however, by the   
unexpected, as the observing old man stood in her way.   
  
"Excuse me," Ami said quietly.   
  
"Pardon my intrusion, Ms. Mizuno," Higure said,   
bowing unexpectedly. "I could not help but notice you   
during my stay."   
  
"I'm sorry," she replied, purposefully attempting to   
throw him off, "but I'm not interested in older men."   
  
The old man smiled. "No, not in that manner." He   
gripped his fan tighter. "I speak of your teaching   
methods, and the mind which you back them up with. The   
students pay attention to your every word, and it   
seems to genuinely interest them."   
  
"Thank you. Now, if you'll please excuse me...."   
She had no intention of making it easy.   
  
Apparently, neither did the old man. "Why of course.   
Perhaps we can speak further at a later time?"   
  
Ami nodded silently, and the old man stepped out of   
the way. She counted several heartbeats before looking   
back, but the Fenril was nowhere to be found, as if he   
vanished into thin air. The disguised soldier sighed   
to herself, realizing that the observing presence was   
no longer hanging over her.   
  
She headed back for the apartment she rented out   
during her undercover period, finding no reason to stop   
until she was within the safety of home. Locking and   
securing all exits and windows Ami walked into the   
bedroom and produced a flat silver mirror from her   
book bag, setting it up on the dresser.   
  
The image of the queen flickered on the surface of   
the mirror. "I made contact," Ami started. "The   
Fenril recruiter is an old man, and he is apparently   
strong. I sense a powerful force behind him, but it is   
nowhere near the same as the dark energy-- rather,   
attuned to an elemental force like ours."   
  
"Could it be Death Phantom?" asked the monarch.   
  
"Possibly," she considered, "although that would not   
fit his pattern. In any case, the encounter we had   
seemed positive enough; he wants to see me again   
tomorrow. From there hopefully he will bring me into   
their numbers. I am unsure as to when this could   
happen."   
  
"Be very careful," warned Serenity. "This is a very   
dangerous game you are playing, dear friend. Once you   
are within their Inner Circle there is nothing we can   
do to help you."   
  
Ami nodded. "I understand."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries,   
Three Days Later   
  
Shion wanted to kiss whoever Eudial was when the   
program finished running. "Found it!" He drummed his   
index fingers on the edge of the console in victory.   
  
Ayame was instantly standing over the mercenary's   
seat as the Deathbuster search program coughed up a   
list of names on the screen, scrolling a database of   
a good number of people living in Tokyo that could   
possibly possess a pure heart crystal. "That's not a   
big list."   
  
"Well, also keep in mind that this data is a bit on   
the old side," added Shion. "This program was written   
and compiled long before Crystal Tokyo, so we have to   
update the program a bit. But that shouldn't be too   
much a problem." He pointed toward the screen. "This   
list is what the programmer used to find pure heart   
crystals; the names given have a check mark by them   
because they were confirmed to have a pure heart. I'm   
not sure why we couldn't pick any one of them, really."   
  
"So what's the point?" asked Ayame.   
  
"Well, all of these people still have their heart   
crystals, so why don't we get them from these people,   
if they're still around?"   
  
The leader paused to consider this. Among the   
material Wiseman provided her to find and secure the   
heart crystals was equipment left over by a group of   
humans known as the Deathbusters. Fascination struck   
the techs as these were constructed of techno-magical   
devices, and some of the equipment still worked.   
Among the equipment Shion discovered an intact server,   
from which he brought up the program he was so happy   
with.   
  
"Okay, but how about those names that weren't checked   
off?" she asked, running her finger down the list. "I   
don't know...."   
  
"I think it has to do with purity grade and time,"   
explained the mercenary. "Maybe the 'more pure--' and   
I'm not sure how you can tell just by looking at this   
list-- offer a bigger energy yield. If what the old   
man said was correct, the Deathbusters completed their   
mission."   
  
"And we inherited their weapons," Ayame finished.   
  
"This all seems rather silly to me," Shion admitted.   
"I'd think it'd be easier to build a fusion reactor   
than to convert heart crystals into energy sources."   
He looked over his shoulder to eye the niece of   
Mishima. "What'll you have us do?"   
  
Ayame slowly turned back toward the center of the   
room. "We send someone out to get one, of course. I   
want to see if this Deathbuster stuff really does what   
it's advertised, and I also want to know how we can   
get energy from a silly crystal."   
  
---   
  
"So what's this supposed to do?" Pantyhose Taro asked   
as he stared at the tiny, black Deathbuster star in his   
fingers.   
  
"Supposedly," Ayame explained, "you're supposed to   
'will it' to draw out the heart crystal." She   
shrugged. "It's supposed to be a point-and-shoot kind   
of thing, I guess."   
  
"That's one too many 'supposeds,'" noted the martial   
artist dryly. "A lot can go wrong with 'supposed.'"   
  
"Well, how am I supposed to know?"   
  
Taro slapped the star onto his right palm, and it   
stuck on tightly like a slap pad. "Feels kinda stupid,   
but I think nobody'll see it if I smash their faces   
in!"   
  
He turned to leave, but Ayame's voice stopped him.   
"Aren't you forgetting something?"   
  
"Feh," he snorted, "I don't need any help! I'll get   
a crystal without using either your dippy droids or   
your outlandish war machines!"   
  
"Let him go," suggested Shion over his shoulder.   
"Let's see if he can carry out those boasts of his."   
  
Taro took one step toward the mercenary. "Alright,   
you little pansy, you want to say that in front of   
me?"   
  
"Oh, sorry, I'll have to take a rain check on that   
one," he replied, flipping a switch on the console   
before him. Before the martial artist could carry out   
his threat prematurely Taro shimmered out of existence   
from the control center.   
  
"That's one way to end a conversation," Ayame noted.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Neo Queen Serenity had little time to wait as she   
stood alone in the palace's inner sanctum, where the   
Silver Crystal was hidden from threats abroad. Behind   
the pedestal where the artifact rest, against the wall   
opposite the monarch, a viewscreen flickered to life,   
revealing the face she wished to spend eternity seeing,   
from the past to the future and beyond.   
  
"Greetings, my love," began King Endymion. "Forgive   
me; I have not been able to call lately...."   
  
"I understand," Serenity replied. Endymion was busy   
on his pet project in Geneva, ironing out his World   
Parliament, in order for the Earth to help govern   
itself. While this move threatened to remove a bit of   
power from the Earth's rulers it also meant more free   
time when the Small Lady returned from her training in   
the past.   
  
It was certainly something worth looking forward to,   
Serenity thought.   
  
"I wish I could say this was merely a social call, my   
dear, but a new problem has arisen in the past week."   
  
Endymion nodded. "The Bringer of Silence has   
returned," he replied.   
  
"The goals of Chaos are unknown at this point in   
time," explained the queen. "It began with a   
disturbance in one of the rural prefectures, putting a   
couple in the hospital in critical condition. Almost   
at the same time Mars was attacked by an unknown   
assailant. In a half-hour's span two more appeared and   
confronted Venus and Jupiter, purposefully drawing them   
out to a fight."   
  
"It sounds unlike his work," considered the king.   
"From what you describe it almost sounds like an   
uprising... but that is impossible."   
  
Serenity nodded. In order to prevent any further war   
or savage conflict it was necessary to change the   
hearts of men everywhere, a problem that should have   
been taken care of. "Ever since that trouble a week   
ago these new enemies Mercury terms the Fenril Knights   
have been keeping quiet. She believes they are   
following a pattern set along ancient Nemesian texts,   
and while there is no evidence to refute that   
observation at the moment I cannot help but think that   
we are being unfair somehow."   
  
"It automatically places human beings we are supposed   
to protect in a negative light before we understand   
their motives," agreed Endymion.   
  
"To that end I agreed to allow Mercury to carry out a   
subterfuge plan; she wishes to infiltrate their ranks   
and find out what they are up to. We have been in   
communication recently, and it appears she has been   
approached by one of the Fenril. It will be only a   
matter of time before we learn more."   
  
"If it gets any worse, you can count on me to come   
and help. We can summon Uranus and Neptune as well."   
  
She shook her head. "All of your work is too   
important to simply drop. I assure you, if it is help   
we require you will be the first to know. It is   
unnecessary to draw Uranus and Neptune back home, not   
with their extended journey beyond the stars."   
  
Her husband nodded in understanding. "In any case   
keep me informed of what happens. If this uprising is   
indeed part of Death Phantom's black hand, the matter   
may require our full attention. Remember, this is the   
craftiest of our enemies; we were fortunate to defeat   
him the first time, but this time may be far   
different."   
  
Before Serenity could offer a reply, another screen   
flickered to life, presenting the face of Venus. "Your   
highness!"   
  
"Go ahead," replied the queen, recognizing the   
urgency in the soldier's voice.   
  
"Someone's emitting dark energies at the Tokyo   
Tower," she explained. Mars and Jupiter already went   
to check it out, but the computer's picking up a weird   
signal. It's saying that we've seen this kind of   
energy before."   
  
"Nemesian sorcery?" asked Endymion.   
  
"No," Venus replied, shaking her head. "Deathbuster   
techno-magic."   
  
---   
  
Tokyo Tower, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Taro balanced the levitating heart crystal in his   
open right palm, the black Deathbuster star suspending   
it with black lightning. Nearby lay a prone girl, and   
several others who got a little too close. Many other   
visitors of the Tower's overlook fled for their lives,   
jamming themselves in the elevators as if fleeing a   
plague.   
  
A plague named Pantyhose Taro, no less.   
  
"That was a little too easy," he muttered to himself   
in disappointment. "Still, I don't see why you were   
so special. It's not like you're the only pure heart   
crystal in the world."   
  
"Drop it, you!"   
  
Turning his head slightly, in place of all the   
retreating tourists Taro saw two of the Sailor Senshi.   
He leaned back against the rail casually. "Well, well,   
well! I was wondering how long it'd take for you to   
show up."   
  
"Give the heart crystal back!" warned Jupiter,   
lightning crackling between her fingertips.   
  
"Oh, let's see!" Taro said. "Two on one, and me with   
a single-hand handicap. Sounds unfair... for you."   
  
"Don't underestimate us like the others did!" Mars   
shouted. "We beat your friends before."   
  
"Ah... heh, heh, heh!" he laughed, spreading his legs   
apart in readiness. "They were just kids; you're   
dealing with a master of kung fu now!"   
  
Raising his left fist, Taro charged into battle.   
  
---   
  
10th Street Market, 10th Street District   
  
The past three days proved quite informative for Ami.   
  
Ever since the first contact the observer Furui   
met with her during lunch hours, often making casual   
conversation about her teaching methods. To others, it   
would appear to be small talk, but to Ami, and, as she   
suspected, to the old man, it was a delicate dance on   
words.   
  
It was a careful play, but it seemed to have paid   
off, as the observer invited her to join him for an   
early dinner. The restaurant the old man chose was   
quite devoid of customers, as the dinner hour had not   
been reached yet, giving the two relative privacy at a   
table hidden away at a corner of the dining room.   
  
Not long after their orders were taken Higure came   
down to business. "Ms. Mizuno."   
  
"Yes?" She felt anticipation beating in her chest.   
  
"I am curious," he said, "about your opinion of the   
current state of the world?"   
  
"What kind of a question is that?" she asked,   
realizing it was her heart racing. In her mind Ami   
felt her caution flagging several danger signs.   
  
Higure smiled, shaking his head. "No, you are   
correct, it is a silly question."   
  
"Well, to answer your question, I think the world is   
quite peaceful," Ami answered honestly. "Every man   
and woman has the opportunity to contribute to society   
in the best way possible. There are no wars, no crime,   
and no disease. People do not suffer illness or hunger   
because they are have-nots; everybody can seize their   
dreams."   
  
"Yet, oftentimes one person's goal may conflict   
against another," the old man pointed out.   
  
Ami nodded. "That is true, but disputes are no   
longer solved with violence or retribution, but with   
talk, compromise, and a common interest to get along in   
the best manner possible. So to answer your question,   
Mr. Furui, I believe the world could not be a better   
place."   
  
There, she thought, breathing a mental sigh. It was   
a calculated risk, openly vocalizing an idea Ami   
believed was counter to the Fenril thinking, but she   
also knew it was possible that the old man could tell   
when she was lying. On the one hand, the Fenril could   
hear what he wanted to hear, but likely it would be too   
good to be true. On the other hand, if she told the   
Fenril the truth in her heart, he might be impressed,   
and yet it gave her even less possibility to enter into   
the Inner Circle.   
  
Higure stroked his beard thoughtfully, his cold eyes   
studying Ami carefully. She resisted staring into   
them, knowing that to do so may put her in even greater   
danger than she was already in.   
  
It seemed that minutes passed, but in reality only a   
few seconds passed since Ami last spoke. Her heart   
thundered with anticipation, and she fervently hoped   
her facial expression didn't betray her inner thought.   
  
Finally, the old man spoke. "I have acquaintances   
that would disagree with what you said."   
  
"Really?" She tried to sound surprised, and to her   
ears Ami thought it was a little too forced. "I've   
never met anyone who didn't think highly of the Earth   
in it's present state."   
  
"They would say your view is ridiculous," he   
continued. "So far I have not met one person who could   
counter their views properly, until I met you."   
  
"Are you asking me to talk to them?" she asked. This   
was not going quite the way Ami thought, but if it   
still got her into the Inner Circle it would have to   
do.   
  
"If it is not too much of an inconvenience, of   
course," Higure added. "Would you like to meet them?"   
  
Steady, Ami, she thought. This could easily be part   
of a trap. Death Phantom surely knows our identities,   
and there's no reason why he shouldn't have passed that   
information on to his minions. Yet, even though the   
queen is certain that Death Phantom returned, his   
presence had yet to be felt.   
  
And then, this old man, Higure Furui, appeared to   
have no idea who I am, Ami reminded herself. Perhaps   
it was the Disguise Pen that was doing it, or maybe it   
was as given: he suspected nothing. Why would Death   
Phantom resort to a relatively naive person as this?   
  
"I would like to," she found herself saying, despite   
caution.   
  
Anything you get yourself into from here on is up to   
you.   
  
---   
  
Tokyo Tower, Crystal Tokyo   
  
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter shouted, sending   
crackling bolts of lightning against Taro's incoming   
attack.   
  
With blinding speed Taro avoided the attack, but his   
fist came no slower when it contacted against Jupiter,   
sending the senshi sprawling backward. He barely felt   
the singe of a flame bolt soar over his head as he   
ducked, careful to balance the heart crystal upright.   
  
"Nyah, nyah!" Taro taunted. "You're going to have to   
do better than that!"   
  
Mars kept her index fingers pressed together,   
throwing off another fire bolt at the martial artist.   
"Too fast for the Fire Soul!" she hissed.   
  
Jupiter quickly got back to her feet, clenching a   
fist. "Don't worry, this kind of thing is my   
specialty!"   
  
She threw several punches, advancing forward and   
forcing Taro backward in a one-two flurry. Taro   
maintained the smirk on his face, dodging each blow   
with little effort on his part.   
  
"Oh, please!" he complained. "Even Femme-boy was   
way faster than you! But then, I handicapped myself   
for you." He stopped in his tracks, and held up the   
heart crystal in the path of the next projected fist.   
  
Her green gloved fist came to a halt right in front   
of the heart crystal, and Jupiter realized that her   
opponent truly wasn't handicapping himself at all.   
Taro planted his left fist into her gut, driven by a   
mad power and knocking the wind out of her.   
  
Yet it was more than enough time for Mars to set up   
her end of the double attack.   
  
Taro tore his eyes away from Jupiter just as Mars   
shouted, "Burning Mandala!"   
  
"Dammit!" he cursed, leaping straight into the air   
and narrowly avoiding the flaming spheres. "I'm   
getting careless!"   
  
"Almost got him that time!" Mars muttered.   
  
"'Almost' is not nearly good enough!" the martial   
artist countered, landing in front of the soldier of   
fire.   
  
But before he could make a move he felt someone   
clutch onto his left leg. "Two on one, remember?"   
Jupiter reminded him snidely, yanking the leg back with   
all her force.   
  
Mars stepped out of the way as Taro fell to the   
ground face first, mindful to hold the heart crystal   
up and away from the ground. Jupiter stood up from   
the ground over the downed enemy, ready to attack at   
the slightest movement.   
  
"Ready to say 'uncle?'" she asked.   
  
"What I want to know is why you're after the heart   
crystals," Mars added.   
  
"I can't be beaten like this!" Taro hissed angrily.   
"Someone as great as I doesn't get beaten by girls like   
you!"   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Well, you think we should help him?" Shion asked,   
turning toward Ayame at the center of the room and   
jabbing his thumb back at his monitor.   
  
Ayame folded her arms, assuming airs. "Humph, why   
should we? He didn't want help, remember?"   
  
"But he did get a heart crystal."   
  
"Do you see one here?"   
  
"Well, no."   
  
"Don't count your eggs until they're back in the   
nest," suggested the leader. "Unless he can come up   
with something fancy, he's lost."   
  
"And if we lose him, then what?!" demanded Shion,   
ready to take control over the teleport switch.   
  
"Then he's only got himself to blame!" Ayame shot   
back cruelly. "I thought he was a cunning ally, but   
such a hot head will spell disaster to us if he can't   
control even that. That easily-bruised ego of his   
could be our ruin. He either learns to become a team   
player, or dies alone."   
  
The mercenary nodded. "I see your point," he said,   
remembering Taro's threat against him. "So if he gets   
out of this, he gets out of this... no words?"   
  
Ayame nodded.   
  
---   
  
Tokyo Tower, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Taro weighed his options carefully in fractions of   
seconds, eyeing the heart crystal he desperately sought   
to keep intact. While he had no idea what would   
happen if he dropped it, the green skirt girl was   
obviously worried enough when he used it as a shield.   
  
There would be more heart crystals, he decided; more   
than enough to complete the engine.   
  
"Sorry, girls, but I've got a party to attend!" he   
shouted, hurling the crystal toward the elevator.   
  
A startled gasp and the red skirt diving after the   
crystal was more than enough a cue for Taro to make his   
comeback. Without chancing a look he scissored his   
legs together, sandwiching both of Jupiter's legs, and   
twisted his body around, bringing the girl crashing to   
the ground. He released his clutch hold immediately,   
springing to his feet, constantly keeping watch on the   
heart crystal landing in Mars' desperate hands as she   
dove.   
  
"It's been real, girls!" he taunted, casting his   
eyes toward the glass window at the rail. "The   
information I got out of this battle will prove quite   
useful later on!"   
  
Before either of the senshi could make a move Taro   
was already breaking a sprint toward the window. With   
momentum behind him the martial artist shattered the   
window with his body, throwing glass shards everywhere   
around the impact point.   
  
He allowed himself a couple heartbeats of freefall,   
hopefully instilling the image that he was committing   
suicide by leaping over the edge. Clutching the prism   
tied securely to his pantyhose sash, Taro whisked   
himself from his death plunge.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
"He plunged through the window and off the edge of   
the tower," Sailor Mars reported to the queen. "Since   
there's no body down there we have to assume he's got   
some means to fly or teleport."   
  
"That guy's not terribly hard to find," added   
Jupiter, her face appearing next to Mars's on the   
screen. "Some kind of scaled hide shirt and a   
pantyhose around his waist." She shrugged. "Strange   
guys these people pick up."   
  
Serenity nodded. Although the two senshi succeeded   
in keeping one heart crystal from Death Phantom's   
minions, she knew there was more than enough to go   
around. "I am pleased at your report. Return to the   
palace as soon as possible."   
  
Both Mars and Jupiter nodded, their faces winking out   
of existence, finally leaving the sovereign alone with   
her husband.   
  
"Crisis averted?" asked Endymion.   
  
"Yes, for the moment. However, this is rather   
disturbing news, from what they describe."   
  
"They made it sound as if this new enemy was   
purposefully holding back," the king agreed. "Even if   
it was only due to the stolen heart crystal, he was   
cunning enough to use it to his own advantage as well.   
That is what concerns me."   
  
"Given this example the Fenril are more than willing   
to put the heart crystals in jeopardy," Serenity said.   
"While we do not know why they need the crystals it is   
more than enough proof that they could seize heart   
crystals on a whim, with disregard for life."   
  
"In other words, no one is safe," concluded Endymion.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Pantyhose Taro materialized on his stomach at Ayame   
Mishima's feet, his body finally understanding that it   
was no longer in freefall.   
  
"You failed," the leader said simply.   
  
Taro said nothing, planting his palms to the cold   
floor and began lifting himself up, but he was held   
fast by the weight of Ayame's high-heeled shoe, placing   
a sharp pain in his spine.   
  
"No, you'd better stay on that belly of yours, and   
grovel a bit," she suggested coldly. "The first test   
operation of the Deathbuster technology was a complete   
success, but you failed to bring back the heart   
crystal."   
  
"It's those stupid girls," Taro hissed angrily, but   
Ayame cut him sharply.   
  
"But I never expected you to bring it back; your   
objective was far different. In fact, you failed the   
moment you walked out the door." She drove her heel in   
harder. "For some reason you're a prima donna,   
thinking you can do everything by yourself without   
help."   
  
"Just you wait..." he warned.   
  
"And your shitty attitude, too," Ayame added.   
"Whether you like it or not you're living under my   
roof, and since I'm the owner I'm also your landlord.   
I make the rules around here, and if you don't like   
them, we'll cut you loose and let the Sailor Senshi get   
you. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"   
  
"But here's why you won't do that. Because, no   
matter how powerful or strong you are, they'll get you   
eventually. You have no safe haven which to hide out   
in, and no way to outrun the Sailor Senshi on your own   
merits. You won't leave, because you want the power on   
the Kami Plane just as much as we do."   
  
"And now that you know that, here's what you're   
going to do. You're going to join your friends under   
lockdown... oh, wait. Did I forget to mention I lifted   
it over the other three? So I suppose you'll be   
staying around like a caged animal all by yourself;   
you couldn't do grocery shopping if you wanted to, much   
less get heart crystals. And here's what you're going   
to do while under lockdown: you're going to learn how   
to work with the rest of us, and fix your attitude, or   
you're never going to see the light of the sun for the   
rest of your stay here. Do I make myself clear?"   
  
Slowly, painfully, Taro nodded to the floor.   
  
Ayame relaxed her foot slightly, then pressed in for   
another painful spike. "Oh, I know you're already   
thinking of a way to get back at me, but there are a   
good fourteen other of us that can take you out, plus   
the robot bodyguards you think are worthless toys.   
Never forget who we are."   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
For all the business that was the organization known   
to Crystal Tokyo's rulers as the Fenril Knights, they   
knew enough that it was good to have free time.   
  
Sized as a modest ball room, one corner was   
furnished with a large couch and two comfy chairs to   
each side of it, with a wooden coffee table in the   
middle. Immediately opposite the couch was a large-   
screen television set, and the couch's occupant, Kanna   
Rajura, was watching the local news intently.   
  
In the center of the room was a single pool table,   
set up in the traditional style with low handing lamps,   
and a game was underway between Mousse and Tatewaki,   
with the kendoist having the apparent point advantage.   
  
Nearby, at the center of one wall was a small bar,   
and while there was no one tending it the seats were   
occupied nonetheless, of Kodachi, Shampoo, and Miranda   
observing the two men play out their game.   
  
Closest to the double door entrance was a number of   
unoccupied tables and seats, only one set used up by   
the robed Cinder, holding up a book to read in his   
metallic, claw-like hand. Anyone observing him could   
see only his left, mechanical eye move slighly up and   
down under his dark hood.   
  
When Ranma walked in, everyone game him their   
attention.   
  
"Ah, Saotome," greeted Tatewaki. "What graces have   
you for your superiors?"   
  
"Can it, Kuno," the martial artist shot back, and   
the others resumed their own activities. He spied   
Mousse getting ready to make his shot. "You don't want   
to hit that."   
  
"Why not?" asked the weapons master, raising his eye   
level slightly toward Ranma.   
  
"That hit'd set up Kuno's next shot, and he'd win,"   
Ranma pointed out.   
  
"Hah!" scoffed Mousse. "As if you know how to play   
pool!"   
  
"I'm putting good money on you, Mousse," Miranda   
called. "You'd BETTER listen to him!"   
  
Tuning out the conversation, he eyed Kanna at the   
corner. "What's she watching?"   
  
"She wishes to catch up on local events," Kodachi   
explained. "For some unfathomable reason that girl   
believes our best chance for victory is to study the   
situation from all angles before acting." She assumed   
airs. "On the other hand, one talented such as I   
should have no problem...."   
  
Ranma hardly waited for the laugh to kick in and   
walked past the pool table and Mousse's impending   
doom. He leaned with his elbows against the top of the   
couch, but Crystal Spider Rajura hardly seemed to   
notice. "What'chu watching?"   
  
"The evening news," Kanna replied tactfully. "Isn't   
it strange how they mention the Tokyo Tower incident,   
but not the attacker?"   
  
"Really?" Ranma blinked, as he was certain that   
anyone with half a mind would notice Pantyhose Taro in   
an instant.   
  
"There's no official comment from the government, and   
the peacekeepers are baffled," she explained. "In   
fact, judging from what I've been watching the Crystal   
Tokyo government doesn't want anyone to know about us   
yet."   
  
"They're scared of us," Ranma guessed.   
  
Kanna shook her head. "They don't know what we are   
yet, so they're erring on the side of caution. A wise   
move, but one that could backfire if we hold out long   
enough. Seemingly random attacks could help undermine   
the government. We could turn the population base   
against them, but it'd take years."   
  
"We don't have years," the martial artist replied.   
"The sooner everyone gets back to their senses, the   
better."   
  
"And I agree," she conceded. "But we don't have any   
of that mind-altering stuff Queen Serenity has, so we   
can't beat her in that department. They have to have a   
weakness somewhere; it's all a matter of finding it and   
exploiting it."   
  
"Is that how the old geezers do it?"   
  
"They're ancient Chinese scholars," Kanna corrected.   
"And yes, observing and understanding made them   
legends in their time. I, too, can become a legend;   
we as a collective could be as celebrated as much as   
the heroes of the Three Kingdoms period."   
  
"I didn't set out to become a hero," Ranma said, "I'm   
doing what's right."   
  
"Only history will judge that," warned the Crystal   
Spider. "Whoever is the victor will get to write out   
that history."   
  
---   
  
10th Street Market, 10th Street District   
  
"So, when would you like to meet them?" Higure asked,   
as he and Ami exited the restaurant, having finished   
their early dinner just as the dinner crowd began to   
filter in.   
  
"As soon as possible," she answered, quickly adding,   
"it's good to find people of differing opinions that   
can argue well; it exercises the mind."   
  
The old man nodded. "True. I find that the mind   
becomes dull when there is nothing to stimulate it.   
And I...."   
  
His words were cut short when an armful of paper   
bags collided with Ami, throwing both her and the   
shopper back and scattering several bags of junk food   
and a loaf of bread to the crystal-layered sidewalk.   
  
"Watch where you're going," complained the shopper,   
quickly tossing her groceries back in the bag.   
  
"Allow me," Higure said, offering Ami his hand.   
  
The disguised senshi accepted it quickly, with only   
the thought of the irony of it all tugging at her mind.   
For a moment Ami wondered how such a nice old man could   
fall in with someone like Death Phantom. Or, if he   
even was working for him.   
  
But that doubt soon disappeared when the shopper and   
the old man recognized each other. "Master Higure!"   
  
"I see you are no longer grounded," Higure said,   
nodding to the girl.   
  
Ami gasped, and relief washed over her when neither   
of the two paid her any attention over it. True, she   
had but a description from Sailor Mars to go by, but   
something in her head told her that this was the one.   
The priestess was dressed in odd colorations of a pink   
top and a dark green hakama, with the sleeves decorated   
with an odd, eight-petaled cherry blossom. She looked   
no threatening to Ami as she quickly grabbed her   
scattered groceries, appearing almost comical and not   
the least bit threatening.   
  
On the back of the priestess's kimono was the double   
kanji symbol for 'Genbu,' and Ami filed that away in   
her mind for later reference.   
  
"Well, you know how Ayame is," the girl replied,   
reaching for her loaf of bread. "She got pissed at   
what's-his-face so she let us out and locked him in.   
So I decided to go on a snack run; there's only one   
kind of pretzel I'd buy and nobody else brought back   
enough the last few times!" She stood up, wiping off   
her pants although they were free from dirt and dust   
from all the scrounging.   
  
"Ah, forgive my manners," Higure said, turning back   
toward Ami. "Shizuka, this is Ami Mizuno, a substitute   
teacher. Ami, this is Shizuka Minazuki, professional   
demon hunter."   
  
Ami offered her hand, and Shizuka shook it   
enthusiastically. "Pleased to meet you," she said.   
"You're one of Mr. Furui's friends?"   
  
Shizuka nodded. "I've heard quite a few good things   
about you. I've never gone to a formal school before,   
so I wouldn't know those kind of things. Pi is three-   
point-one-four-one-five-nine...."   
  
"Actually, that's correct," Ami replied.   
  
The priestess lifted her grocery bags in her arms,   
until Higure snatched one from her. "Thanks, Master."   
She turned back toward Ami. "So... what've you two   
been doing?"   
  
"We just ate," the old man answered. "In fact I was   
on my way back to the house."   
  
"Well, geez," she scoffed. "You could've at least   
waited for me, but then I couldn't go shopping. Well,   
if you're on the way back, I'm headed that way, too."   
  
"But you were going in the other direction," Ami   
pointed out.   
  
"Was I?" Shizuka raised an eyebrow, a confused look   
washing over her features. She raised a finger,   
looking around for the setting sun. "Oh... well... I   
guess so." She laughed. "I couldn't see with these   
bags in the way!"   
  
"Of course," Higure said, nodding.   
  
How can this girl be so much trouble for Mars? Ami   
wondered. She forced an amused laugh. "It happens to   
the best of us."   
  
The other girl didn't seem to find any humor in it.   
Turning to Higure she said, "You sure you want to bring   
your date to the others? She's kinda young for you,   
eh?" She jabbed him in the ribs with her free elbow.   
  
"That is not funny," the old man replied.   
  
"You weren't setting up Tatewaki on a date, were   
you?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Mousse?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Um, excuse me?" interrupted Ami. "Isn't there a   
place we have to be?"   
  
When both of the Fenril remembered, she breathed a   
heavy sigh. If these two were any indication of the   
Death Phantom's Fenril Knights how in the world could   
we have trouble with them?   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis   
  
He was alone, as it was meant to be.   
  
Levitating a half meter off the polished floor the   
man known as Wiseman sat with his crystal ball in his   
lap, conjuring images within. Gray swirls of clouds   
transformed clear crystal into a scene of busy bodies   
working in a large pit. He spied on the un-cryo-frozen   
Mishima engineers, busy building a structure per Ayame   
Mishima's order. From what he could tell Wiseman   
judged it would take several more weeks before the new   
construct is completed.   
  
The scene then shifted to that of Pantyhose Taro's   
living quarters. He watched as the martial artist   
paced around the room, having no more possessions to   
knock over in anger and frustration. He burned with   
desire to get even with Ayame for locking him down, but   
Wiseman knew Taro hated the Sailor Senshi even more.   
  
The room changed slightly, opening up the living   
quarters of Ryoga Hibiki. He lay in a catatonic state   
on the cot that served as his bed, shaking   
involuntarily and babbling random sentences. Wiseman's   
sight allowed him to see the pent-up ki energies   
surrounding the martial artist-- his depression given   
form-- it was a time bomb waiting to explode.   
  
The reclusive Hokuto Takemasa appeared, in the   
Mishima archives that served as a makeshift library.   
While the underground compound had no actual library it   
kept much information stored on computer. Stripped of   
much of her power the esper girl was deep in her work,   
oblivious to the world and to her comrades.   
  
And yet, across Japan, in the abandoned Shrine of the   
Four Gods, the Chinese sorcerer Sypha Blade was busy   
herself in the private stacks left behind by the   
priests. Wiseman had no doubt she was studying for a   
magic that could counter Neo Queen Serenity's hold over   
the Gate of Heaven-- the portal that joined this plane   
with the Kami Plane. She was obsessed with returning   
home, almost as much as Wiseman was.   
  
'Almost' being the key operating word.   
  
Half of Wiseman's charges were bent on forcing their   
way to the Kami Plane, seeking innumerable allies and   
power to counter that of Neo Queen Serenity's own   
immeasurable power. However, of all seventeen only   
Hokuto and Shizuka's fighting abilities were severely   
crippled by the seal-- Hokuto because she could no   
longer access the shadow stream, and Shizuka because   
she could no longer summon beasts. Cinder and Sypha,   
on the other hand, were motivated purely on a method of   
getting home, being kami themselves. After them only   
Ayame, Taro, and Higure seemed to care; the others were   
too busy trying to understand their new surroundings to   
do much of anything.   
  
That would all change soon enough, Wiseman knew. In   
no long time something will come along to change   
everything.   
  
A society with no will to fight would surely fall to   
a threat beyond their control.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
The elevator continued to descend with Ami sandwiched   
between Higure on the right and Shizuka on the left,   
all three standing against the wall opposite the double   
sliding door. For a brief moment she compared her   
situation with that of prisoner, but immediately shook   
that from her mind. There was no reason to think such   
things while an ally of the Fenril.   
  
Being careful as they were Shizuka and Higure hardly   
lead her around with eyes open; in fact, they made it a   
point to get to their destination in the most indirect   
manner possible: a parked van. They waved to the   
unseen driver, and opened up the back and piled in.   
Ami noted that the back of the van did not have any   
windows whatsoever, giving a perfect cover as a means   
to prevent guests from figuring out where they went.   
She never saw the driver at all, as the front was   
completely blocked off. It was not unlike sitting in   
a police wagon.   
  
She tried to map the city with her mind, but the van   
took more turns than she could keep up with, obviously   
indicating that they were traveling in an area that was   
not well-traveled. Ami kept up her small talk with the   
others such as to not arouse their suspicions, and when   
they finally stopped the van doors opened up to an   
underground garage.   
  
There were many parked vehicles in the garage, and   
Ami wanted to see who the driver was, but the two   
Fenril lead her to a waiting elevator car before she   
could get close enough.   
  
Guessing how many floors they were going down was not   
very enlightening to Ami; she settled with the fact   
that either the elevator was very slow or they were   
really going very deep underground.   
  
When the car stopped and the doors slid open, the   
three were not greeted by anybody. The main entrance   
of the compound appeared similar to a hotel lobby,   
causing Ami to do a double take as she took in her   
surroundings. Running over the polished tile floor was   
a red carpet, running its length all the way across   
the hall to a set of large, metal double doors. Stairs   
and doors off to the sides lead elsewhere, but her   
curiosity would have to wait.   
  
For all the grandness of the doors it lead only to a   
clean, white hall, running straight where the carpet   
left off, branching to the sides here and there at   
completely right angles. The total whiteness reminded   
Ami of the hospital, but with even less color, as there   
were no plants or decorations anywhere. She noted   
shiny patches on the walls where Crystal Tokyo's   
crystal still existed, obviously chiseled away when the   
Fenril moved in.   
  
They came to a T-intersection, standing by a set of   
opaque sliding doors. Higure punched in a code at the   
keypad to the right, and the security door slid open   
easily.   
  
Ami tried her best to keep her awe in check as she   
took in the control center's environs. Each and every   
panel and equipment was shaped of metal, in varying   
degrees of polished steel. The room was expansive, and   
the door was located at the top of a bowl-like pit.   
Each side of the circular pit had a computer console,   
save for the area immediately before the door, which   
had a set of stairs downward. Dominating the wall   
opposite the door was a rather large viewscreen, or   
perhaps a series of screens, and Ami saw the same on   
the walls to the sides as well, although both were   
turned off. The front screen currently bore a current   
map of Crystal Tokyo from an aerial view, clearly   
marking such key locations as the Crystal Palace and   
the Tokyo Tower, as well as markers Ami guessed were   
the areas that were attacked previously by the Fenril.   
  
The control center would have been completely devoid   
of life save for the two occupants. One, seemingly a   
technician, was seated at a console off at the two   
o'clock position from where Ami stood, and the other   
stood in the exact center, her back to the disguised   
soldier. She dressed in a white lab coat, and wore her   
modest-length hair up in a pony-tail. The back of her   
coat was decorated with a stylized 'M,' which nearly   
resembled a bat.   
  
That symbol, Ami realized, belonged to the disbanded   
Mishima Heavy Industries, a critical member of the   
original Earth Rebellion since the rise of Crystal   
Tokyo.   
  
The girl turned around, coldness in her expression,   
her arms folded. She dressed in a red turtleneck   
sweater, going along with a black miniskirt and   
matching stockings. She took two deliberate steps   
forward, her black high-heel shoes clacking and   
echoing against the rims of the bowl.   
  
"Shizuka," she said, "I hadn't let you out for more   
than three hours and you already bring back a friend?"   
  
"I apologize," Higure interceded. "It was I who   
brought this friend to you."   
  
"Oh really?" The leader raised an eyebrow, and the   
tech turned in his seat, his interest grabbed.   
  
The other, Ami noted, appeared to be a cardboard   
cutout shirt-and-jeans guy, a style obviously American   
that marked you rich in Japan. He wore a dark jacket,   
with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. The shoes   
he wore looked like more imported clothes. His   
glasses had lenses which were coated with a reflective   
compound, giving the tech an obvious advantage if one   
wished to read his expression-- the eyes were often the   
most telling.   
  
Considering all four Fenril present in the room, Ami   
wondered how any of them could be related.   
  
"I brought her here in order to discuss our   
conflicting philosophies," explained Higure. "I   
believe it would benefit us all if we learned more from   
what an intelligent citizen can offer us, rather than   
rely only on our own, close-minded views."   
  
That was one point in our direction, Ami noted.   
  
"This is Ami Mizuno," he introduced. Gesturing   
toward the lab coat girl, Higure said, "Ami, this is   
Ayame Mishima, niece of the late CEO of Mishima Heavy   
Industries."   
  
"Pleased to meet you," Ami said politely, bowing.   
  
Ayame unfolded her arms, amusement in her eyes. "I   
see.... Well... Ms. Mizuno...?"   
  
"Ami," she insisted.   
  
"Very well." She nodded. "Ami, if Higure trusts you   
so much, then there isn't much I can say to object, is   
there? Feel free to look around, but don't leave the   
premises for the time being." Ayame glared at Higure   
intently. "Can I have a word with you?"   
  
"Of course," answered the old man.   
  
"I could show you around," offered Shizuka. "Besides   
that, I need to get the groceries in the pantry."   
  
"Thank you," Ami replied. She silently took the bag   
Higure had carried in her arms, and without another   
word followed the priestess back out the doors.   
  
The two took a right down the hall as the doors slid   
shut. As Shizuka rambled on about her groceries and   
their importance to her, Ami's thoughts wandered away.   
She imagined Higure was getting a dressing-down by   
Ayame for bringing in an unexpected guest.   
  
On the other hand, she entered the heart of the enemy   
and their Inner Circle, and nobody bothered to even   
blink. Things were going well, that's for sure, but it   
all seemed a little too convenient to Ami.   
  
However, the mystery of Mishima's missing niece has   
been solved, in a completely unexpected manner. It was   
obvious that Ayame Mishima, taking the reigns of her   
uncle's company, was gearing up for a new Earth   
Rebellion, and that she was the leader of the Fenril   
Knights. Although her hospitality seemed genuine, Ami   
felt the coldness from before biting at the edge of her   
mind; she was potentially as ruthless as Mishima's   
mechanical army.   
  
What was more disturbing, however, was that Death   
Phantom's dark hand was nowhere to be seen. The dark   
soldier of Death and Chaos appeared to have little or   
no influence, if there was any, on these individuals.   
The possibility existed that Death Phantom was not   
involved at all, but Ami knew that was wishful thinking   
at best; Death Phantom's presence was detected   
positively.   
  
The trick was, nobody saw him yet.   
  
---   
  
"How much of a good idea do you think it was to bring   
an outsider into this place?" Ayame asked coldly,   
switching back to her machine clarity the moment the   
doors sealed shut.   
  
"If she turns out to compromise our integrity, then   
I will assume full blame," Higure promised.   
  
"That's not what you should be concerned about,"   
Shion interrupted. "I'm sure she's as great a person   
as you say, but you know the possibility exists that   
she may be a spy."   
  
"The possibility crossed my mind," admitted the old   
man. "If such were the case, then we should have felt   
it by now. The energy signatures we feel from the   
Sailor Senshi are too difficult to hide from our own   
magicks."   
  
"I hope you're right," Ayame replied, "because if you   
aren't, then this operation could be over way sooner   
than planned."   
  
"So should we watch her?" asked the mercenary.   
  
"No more than we watch ourselves," she answered.   
"In fact, I want you to manufacture a new prism crystal   
for her. We will give it to her and instruct her how   
to use it, under the pretense that she can come and go   
as she wishes. At the same time, if she does use this   
contrary to our needs, it will alert us. If she is   
indeed on the level, then there's no further need to   
worry." She turned toward Higure. "Is that   
satisfactory?"   
  
The old man nodded.   
  
"Look, Higure," Ayame said softly, "I want to believe   
that you're right, and under different circumstances   
I'd believe you without question. But I'm the leader   
of what may very well be a terrorist group; I need a   
good dose of paranoia to keep me on my toes. You   
don't bear the shackles of leadership, and thus don't   
have to worry about such things as much. It's my   
responsibility to look after all of us, understand?   
I'm not questioning your judgement."   
  
"I understand."   
  
"So you want to test her loyalty?" asked Shion.   
  
Ayame nodded. "That'll be up to you to determine.   
It's terrible, but we can't trust anyone unless they've   
proven themselves to us. We need to know how far she's   
willing to go for us, and, more importantly, if we   
should trust her to roam free."   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis   
  
The crystal ball that bound the bones of Wiseman's   
body together glowed like a beacon, but the old man's   
attentions was elsewhere. Seemingly forgotten, the   
orb levitated by itself, as the rusty blue cloak and   
the bones that supported it were on the floor.   
  
If he had the organs to do it, he would try to cough   
up the ache in his chest.   
  
"Why now?" he wondered aloud. "Why?"   
  
He reached up with his shimmering, ethereal hands to   
his skull, and pulled them back, dragging off bits and   
flakes from its bleached surface. This time, he   
realized, there was no sorcery that could save him from   
his impending fate.   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
The Fenril are a pseudo cross between the Black Moon   
Family and the Deathbusters, the most interesting   
villain groups in Sailor Moon IMO. In a respect they   
are more like the Deathbusters, being that they are   
normal people who are battling super heroes.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	3. Symphony of Fire

Souls of Fire #3: Symphony of Fire   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Sleep was not easy to come for Neo Queen Serenity as   
she lay on her vast bed, alone in the silence of the   
night. She stared upward, toward the ceiling, and   
wondered how so many things could go wrong this early   
in her rule.   
  
However, the thought was shaken as the reflection she   
saw herself in on the crystal ceiling vanished,   
transforming into a dark, hooded shape. The queen's   
eyes widened immediately when she realized who it was.   
  
"Death Phantom!" she gasped.   
  
"You are Neo Queen Serenity," the shade said, eyes   
illuminating under the darkness of the rust-blue hood.   
"Excellent."   
  
Serenity puzzled over the odd remark for a moment,   
then brushed it off. "What do you want?"   
  
"We will meet again in three nights hence," Death   
Phantom said, and Serenity knew well enough that it   
was not a request. "In the crystal garden of your very   
palace I will wait for you. There is much to discuss."   
  
"Why should we wait for three days?" asked the   
queen. "What is your game, Death Phantom?"   
  
"Consider this," he warned. "If any other than   
yourself are present in the garden at this same time of   
the night as that date, then the lives of your precious   
citizens cannot be guaranteed. Bring no weapons nor   
allies. I will be waiting in three days."   
  
"Wait!" she cried, just as the shade transformed   
back into her own reflection.   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
By the time Shizuka lead Ami into the recreational   
room, very few people occupied it, as many drifted off   
to their own quarters for the night. Even though it   
seemed a bit early to turn in for Ami, she realized,   
by glancing at the wall clock, that Shizuka was   
actually taking her time in putting away her groceries.   
  
Not that it was totally unenlightening to Ami. The   
girl was a priestess of Genbu, she learned, one of the   
four factions that made their home in the abandoned   
Shrine of the Four Gods. The disguised soldier was   
severely tempted to tell Shizuka more about the fate of   
her missing friends and comrades, but thought better of   
it; although Sailor Mercury knew the answer, Ami   
Mizuno did not, and telling Shizuka would likely not   
win any favors.   
  
One thing was certain; Ami determined that Suzaku,   
the fire god, was the rival of Genbu, the water god,   
which probably explained the reason Shizuka readily   
attacked Mars at the Hikawa Shrine.   
  
And while Mars seemed to have a little trouble   
keeping up with the girl, Shizuka herself admitted she   
was a terrible fighter, now that her talisman no longer   
function. Ami hardly believed her; anyone walking   
around with two swords tied to their belts had to be   
at least a little competent.   
  
Near the back end of the rec room Ami spied the one   
person occupying the room, her back toward the two   
girls, facing the large television set displaying the   
late night news. Propped on the seat next to her was   
a long naginata, with an equally long thick leather   
strap hanging loosely from the head to presumably the   
other end of the staff.   
  
The girl tied her hair in a pony tail, tied off with   
a green ribbon, contrasting with her violet combat   
dress. She wore a brass necklace around her neck,   
linked in chains, but Ami could not tell what was   
hanging off it.   
  
"Kanna," Shizuka said, "you're still here?"   
  
She turned around, and Ami caught a glimpse of the   
large amethyst crystal hanging off the necklace. "Oh,   
you brought a friend?"   
  
"This is Ami Mizuno," the priestess introduced.   
"Ami, this is Kanna Rajura. Some people call her the   
'Crystal Spider.'"   
  
'Crystal Spider,' Ami repeated in her mind. That   
name sounds vaguely familiar. "Pleased to meet you."   
She held out her hand, and Kanna accepted, shaking   
strongly.   
  
"So Ayame actually let you in?" began Kanna. "You   
must be of some use to her, then."   
  
"Pardon?"   
  
"Not just anybody gets into the compound," she   
elaborated. Kanna shrugged. "Well, I guess we could   
use some extra bodies around here."   
  
"Ami's a teacher," Shizuka said, volunteering   
information. "Master Higure brought her."   
  
Kanna nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I guess there's   
more people to match wits with, then." She turned   
toward Ami. "Not a whole lot of geniuses on this boat,   
if you catch my drift."   
  
She nodded. "By the way, why do they call you the   
'Crystal Spider?'" Ami was starting to get a good idea   
where she heard the name from. "It's such an odd   
name," she added quickly, realizing that if Kanna was   
anywhere near as smart as she claimed to be, she would   
pick up on the idea.   
  
But it turned out that Kanna was thinking far from   
any past incident. "Well, it's mainly because of this   
thing," she answered, holding up her necklace for Ami   
to see.   
  
Ami peered closer at the amethyst, and realized   
there was a crystallized silk spinner spider encased   
within. "That's an interesting piece of art."   
  
"It's belonged to my family for generations," Kanna   
continued. "None of us know why it's any special, but   
I always wear it. So when I was growing up kids knew   
me as the girl with the weird necklace."   
  
She shrugged. "Boys thought it was odd that I wasn't   
scared of spiders like most other girls, so they called   
me the spider lady, and all kinds of spider names. And   
as I got older they got more creative about it, and   
eventually 'Crystal Spider' stuck. I kind of like the   
sound of it, actually, so that's why it's that."   
  
"Beautiful but dangerous," Shizuka commented.   
  
Kanna gave the priestess a look.   
  
"Hey, I didn't mean it THAT way!"   
  
Ami nodded. There was no doubt in her mind that this   
was the same girl that was linked to the house bombing   
on the day Death Phantom's presence was detected. The   
couple mentioned something about a crystal spider when   
they were treated at the hospital, but no one could,   
or would, give any information.   
  
And here she was, the criminal responsible for the   
destruction. Kanna Rajura must be brought to justice   
for her crimes, Ami knew, but she also realized that   
now wasn't the time nor the place to bring her to the   
court.   
  
"So where's everybody else?" asked Shizuka.   
  
Kanna shrugged. "Well, I wasn't paying attention or   
anything... but I heard Kuno was going to try something   
tonight. I'd be surprised if he succeeded where   
Pantyhose failed."   
  
"'Pantyhose?'" echoed Ami, confused.   
  
"Yeah, that's his name," Kanna replied with a nod.   
"The poor bastard... well, maybe he deserves it because   
he is a bastard."   
  
All three girls heard a loud hiss. From the ceiling   
above the voice of the mercenary Shion said through a   
speaker, "Shizuka, would you mind bringing our guest   
back to the control center?"   
  
"Well, I guess the tour's over," the priestess of   
Genbu declared. Turning toward Kanna she said, "You   
can go back to playing the stock market, or whatever   
you're doing."   
  
"It was a pleasure to meet you," Kanna said toward   
Ami, bowing slightly.   
  
"The same," replied Ami, nodding quickly.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
"Three energy spikes, sir," one of the security   
techs said, leaning over his seat.   
  
Sailor Venus approached the man quickly. "Where?"   
  
At the monitor on the security guard's console a map   
of the city appeared, with three flashing, red dots at   
certain locations. "They're forming a perfect triangle   
pattern centering the palace. If I'm not mistaken, it   
is likely the enemy is making a move against us."   
  
"It's an invitation," Venus realized. "The three   
points are spread too far apart from each other, and   
the palace, to harm it directly." She pointed a gloved   
finger at one point, near the sea, in the mountainous   
region. "That's where I'll be. Ask Mars and Jupiter   
to handle the other two."   
  
"What is it?" asked the tech.   
  
"That one in the corner is generating a larger energy   
field than the other two," she explained, "so I'm   
betting that one is the leader, and the other two are   
flunkies."   
  
---   
  
Sea Coast, Northeast of Crystal Tokyo   
  
It took less than half a second for Sailor Venus to   
materialize at the coastal region, and she was glad to   
learn that her assumption had been correct.   
  
Standing opposite her in a relaxed manner, his back   
toward her, was a tall man dressed in a kendo training   
uniform, his wooden sword slung at his waist. He   
stared upward at the stars, just at the edge of the   
cliff that Venus knew fell nearly straight down to the   
rocky shoals below. The waves crashed up against the   
rocks, creating a strange hypnotic, soothing sound in   
the otherwise quiet night.   
  
"Excuse me?" she started, instantly getting a   
reaction out of the kendoist.   
  
"Shhh!!" he hissed, turning his head back toward her   
angrily. "Do you not hear the calling from beyond the   
sea, woman?!"   
  
"It's just the sea...."   
  
"Woven in a sea of beauty," he interrupted, "the song   
of the maiden ocean spirits carry to my ears. 'Tis a   
rhythm that may soothe the beast, or enlighten the   
knowledgable."   
  
He turned around fully, and drew his bokken, gripping   
it with both hands, and taking several practice swings   
before him. "Would you be the maiden warrior that is   
the championed leader of Crystal Tokyo's devoted   
defenders?"   
  
"Yeah, I guess that's me," Venus replied with a nod.   
"Who are you?"   
  
"I am the one without peer!" he thundered. "The   
rising star of the fencing world! The sound of my   
voice strikes fear in the hearts of my enemies! My   
peers call me the Azure Wind of Tokyo University!   
Tatewaki Kuno, age twenty-two."   
  
"O-kay," Venus said, uncertain if she found the right   
guy. "So you're challenging me to a duel? I don't   
really have a fair sword."   
  
"The weapon is but a deception to the perception of   
one's true skill!" Tatewaki replied, holding out his   
bokken in a ready stance. "You would do well to   
prepare to pay for your crimes!"   
  
Only a fraction of a second passed as Venus realized   
that the match had begun, and she was quite unarmed.   
The kendoist thrust rapid jabs with his wooden sword   
in a blinding speed that it took all of the soldier's   
concentration to avoid them all. She knew she was   
getting pushed back, and into a wall, but there was   
little she could think to do in order to avoid that.   
  
The moment Venus felt the wall behind her she leaped   
straight up, forcing Tatewaki to smash his bokken into   
the stone cliffside. Pushing herself off the wall she   
somersaulted over the kendoist, quickly summoning her   
Venus energy sword, and landing on her feet. Turning,   
she suppressed surprise when Tatewaki pulled his   
bokken out of the cliffside undamaged, leaving several   
large holes in the rock.   
  
"Defend yourself, scoundrel!" the kendoist shouted,   
committing himself to another fury strike.   
  
This time Venus was ready, as she arced her blade   
to parry each blow, but it was as if Tatewaki's   
strokes were unaffected, as he pressed on with the same   
fury. She dodged to the side, opening Tatewaki's side   
for an easy counter blow, and took advantage of it,   
driving a well-placed kick in the kendoist's side.   
Tatewaki, knocked out of his attack, quickly recovered   
from the recoil, and resorted on the more conventional   
swings.   
  
Venus took the opportunity to swing the battle in her   
favor, making wide cutting arcs and forcing Tatewaki   
to parry, as he overcompensated the strikes due to the   
light trails from the energy weapon. She was surprised   
the bokken remained in working shape despite the   
punishment it went through.   
  
But apparently Tatewaki was learning about his   
opponent just as fast, if not faster, than Venus was   
learning about him. Instead of going for a dedicated   
parry as usual, Tatewaki thrust his bokken in quickly   
between arcing hits, and Venus moved her head out of   
the way in the nick of time. However, even though the   
weapon never touched her she felt the attack tear a   
cut into her right cheek. As she realized it was   
starting to bleed Tatewaki pressed his attack, making   
several more dedicated thrusts, this time landing good   
hits on her right arm-- her sword arm.   
  
She lost hold over the weapon's existence as the   
bruises dominated her mind, and Venus staggered back   
defensively, her left arm supporting her injured right   
arm. Taking in several desperate breaths, she realized   
over the sting of the hurting spots that Tatewaki had   
stopped completely, but remained ever-ready to strike   
again.   
  
"With defenders as weak as you," Tatewaki said   
coldly, "is it a wonder that opponents skilled in the   
war arts can beat you so easily?"   
  
"Then you don't know us Sailor Senshi very well, do   
you?" Venus countered. "You say you're going to hit me   
with that justice of yours, but it's more vengeance   
than justice."   
  
"Such shall it be to deceivers as you!" Tatewaki   
said angrily. "How dare you interfere with the lives   
of my family in such manner as I cannot recognize my   
own father? What right have you to dominate the minds   
of this Earth with your will, and remove their way of   
living?!"   
  
"You're not making sense!" complained the soldier,   
stalling for time as she tried to think of a way out of   
the mess. "Fighting only creates more problems in the   
world! The only way to prevent it is to talk out the   
problems, and find a solution both parties can agree   
with."   
  
"How naive do you believe I am, woman?!" he roared.   
"Though I would hate my father so for the atrocities   
he has committed, he is still my father. What you and   
your sorceries have done... were they asked for? Were   
they necessary?! Why?!"   
  
"Because I'm a soldier of love and justice," she   
replied, finalizing her plan. "I fight for the good of   
the people, against those who would bring harm to the   
Earth, and the rest of the universe. My name is Sailor   
Venus!"   
  
She pointed out her right index finger against all   
the pain protesting in her mind. "Crescent Beam!"   
  
A ray of energy caught Tatewaki by surprise, and   
nothing he could do could deflect a simple attack such   
as that. He took the blow squarely in the chest,   
throwing the kendoist back and off balance. In the   
second of weakness Venus followed-up with the remainder   
of her plan.   
  
Quickly she summoned an energy chain into existence,   
and flung it at the dazed attacker. The chain   
encircled Tatewaki many times, binding him securely,   
but he refused to release his grip on the bokken.   
  
Gritting his teeth in anger, Tatewaki charged before   
the chain could encircle his legs and feet completely.   
Venus rolled to the side quickly, mentally telling   
herself, "That was not part of the plan!" and allowing   
Tatewaki to continue.   
  
But continue he would not, as the chain finished   
binding the kendoist in mid-charge. Tatewaki fought   
against the bindings, but fell forward, his bokken   
caught on the ground. His momentum carried him   
further, however, and the bokken served to fling   
Tatewaki into the air.   
  
Venus turned her eyes away as Tatewaki flung to his   
death plunge over the edge of the cliff.   
  
---   
  
He had no idea how long he had lay there, with the   
sea lapping against his back as Tatewaki lay broken   
on the rocky sea coast. Struggling to keep his eyes   
open he tried in vain to remember where the black   
prism shard had gone, but somehow he remembered it was   
hidden in the handle of the bokken.   
  
No matter, it was useless, he thought.   
  
How long ago had it been when he discovered that the   
prism crystal that Wiseman gave him served to augment   
his already fantastic skills? How long ago had it been   
since he and Kodachi left the Kuno estate for the last   
time?   
  
How long had Kodachi been standing next to him?   
  
"I... failed," he croaked.   
  
"Please, Brother," she pleaded, "please hang on!"   
  
"Finish it..." he requested, feeling the energy   
draining from his body. "Take my... heart...."   
  
For a moment the girl's eyes sobered up from her   
sadness. "What... what are you...?"   
  
"In death, my life... serves purpose...." He lost   
feeling in his legs, feeling nothing of the rocks they   
lay on, nor of the bent bones. For that matter, he   
realized, he could not feel himself at all. "Dear   
Sister, live on."   
  
Tatewaki Kuno would neither see her reaction, nor   
know of what his fateful battle would bring for the   
future of the world.   
  
---   
  
Venus picked up the wooden sword, and found it to be   
a little heavier than she expected, as the handle end   
was weighed down artificially. She had little time to   
think of it as she paused to look over the edge, unable   
to take her mind off the tragedy she witnessed herself.   
  
Down below, many several meters, she could make out   
the prone body of the kendoist Tatewaki, and that of   
a second, a girl, apparently. Any speculation as to   
her relation to the kendoist disappeared as Venus   
realized she was drawing out his heart crystal, black   
lightning crackling out of her right palm, sourcing   
from a Deathbuster star. The heart crystal glowed with   
a high intensity, suggesting it was of a superior   
purity.   
  
The girl stared upward, catching a glimpse of Venus   
with sadness in her eyes. However, the sadness was   
soon replaced with scorn when she realized that the   
reason Tatewaki was dead was because of her.   
  
"YOU!!" she screamed, her voice carrying over the   
lap of waves against the rocks. "You shall rue the day   
you crossed paths with Kuno!"   
  
In a shift of blackness the girl vanished with the   
heart crystal, leaving the corpse of her fellow Fenril   
Knight alone in the darkness of night.   
  
Venus sighed wearily, and suddenly the sound of the   
ocean took on a whole new meaning to her.   
  
"They're never going to stop now," she realized.   
  
---   
  
Ami's Apartment, 10th Street District   
  
Ami collapsed on her bed wearily, holding the black   
prism shard in her hand over her.   
  
It was a fragment of the Black Crystal, she had no   
doubt about that. If there was a sign that Death   
Phantom was involved, this was it.   
  
Each of the Fenril Knights, she learned, carried one   
of these shards on their person, in order to travel in   
a teleporting fashion similar to the method the   
Sailor Senshi used nowadays. Like the standard way,   
all one had to do was visualize the location in order   
to get there, which was why Higure had to physically   
bring her in the first time.   
  
Ami suspected that the shards were also a means of   
tracking, therefore it would do her no good to break   
her routine now. She guessed that if she went into the   
Crystal Palace it would immediately blow her cover.   
Still, having the shard should give some kind of   
positive benefit on the whole situation.   
  
Realizing the lateness of the hour, Ami nevertheless   
set down the shard and produced her communication   
mirror out of its hiding place. In a few short moments   
she was connected to Neo Queen Serenity's Inner Sanctum   
viewscreen, where a tired monarch stood waiting.   
  
"Ami, I am glad you are well," she said, sounding   
tired.   
  
"They've invited me to continue visiting them for   
the time being," she reported. "So far, I've been able   
to determine that a suspect of the bombing a couple   
weeks ago is among them. Her name is Kanna Rajura, and   
she is called the 'Crystal Spider.' I recommend you   
put someone on this."   
  
"I see." The queen nodded. "While you were gone   
the others have been rather busy. Two separate   
attacks, one this afternoon, and one which concluded a   
short time ago. In the first attack a strange young   
man with a pantyhose sash attempted to steal a heart   
crystal; Mars and Jupiter thwarted him."   
  
"There was talk of someone named 'Pantyhose' in the   
Fenril compound," Ami said, nodding.   
  
"Venus handled one of the Fenril Knights, while Mars   
and Jupiter disposed of decoy droids," continued   
Serenity. "However, during their duel the Fenril   
Knight was slain, and his heart crystal taken by   
another."   
  
"In other words, they're possibly willing to   
sacrifice each other for their mission," noted the   
disguised Sailor Senshi. "I've received a shard of the   
Black Crystal from them; they use it to teleport at   
will. What I find strange is if the Fenril had this   
option available, why didn't he retreat?"   
  
Queen Serenity shook her head. "We do not know the   
answer, but I will have people search the body for such   
a shard." A greater sadness fell in her eyes. "My   
dear friend, I continually fear for your safety.   
Please do no more than you must, for I have no wish to   
lose more people in this struggle, even if it is on   
the side of our enemy. The time of war has passed."   
  
Yes, Ami thought, nodding. All everybody wants is   
peace and happiness, and while the Fenril Knights were   
still running around, with the backing of Death   
Phantom, that peace was in jeopardy.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Dead," Ayame repeated, still shocked that she would   
be announcing this fate on any under her roof. "Dead,   
dead, dead...."   
  
Save Shion, the only other occupants of the control   
center was Kanna and Shizuka, as Kodachi had long since   
locked herself into her quarters. Kanna looked down   
toward Shion as she stood next to his seat, a worried   
look on her face.   
  
"Face it," Shizuka said, trying to calm down the   
leader, "everybody's got to die sometime...."   
  
"Shizuka," Kanna warned, "don't...."   
  
"I mean, it's nothing to look forward to," she   
continued, trying to amend her mistake, "but... well,   
oh...." She pounded her foot on the ground. "Damn   
me."   
  
"Just shut up," Ayame ordered coldly, betraying no   
emotion. "Just... shut... up."   
  
"What I want to know is why he didn't come back,"   
Shion voiced. "He should've had the prism on him; he   
could've avoided his fate."   
  
"Tatewaki's a warrior," Kanna replied, "and he's very   
proud. No, he'd never back out of the fight even if   
he was losing. Unfortunately, I don't think he's the   
only one."   
  
"Then we're just going to have to change that, won't   
we?" Ayame said. She eyed the Crystal Spider. "I want   
you to use that much-flaunted brain of yours and find   
a way to make our attacks more effective. I want to   
see some good results tomorrow, before the negative   
morale sets in."   
  
"Tomorrow?!" Kanna said, gasping. "That soon?!"   
  
"There's a reason I'm the king and you're the prime   
minister, Kanna," the leader replied. "You're supposed   
to be the smart one; you figure it out. I want to see   
no less than five heart crystals on my desk by this   
time tomorrow, or you're going to take the fall for   
this problem, understand?"   
  
Remaining silent, she nodded. "I'll see what I can   
do, but I'm not promising anything."   
  
"And while you're at it, see if you can fix the   
'proud attitude' we've got in our people. I never want   
to hear of a blundering mistake like this again.   
Ever."   
  
---   
  
Archives, Mishima Heavy Industries   
The Next Day   
  
Despite it being a school day, Ami managed to pull   
enough strings to get off duty that day, as she wished   
to delve more into the Fenril command structure. Now   
that the first casualty of war occurred, finding a way   
to stop the conflict would be much more difficult.   
More than ever they needed to find out what drove the   
Fenril to the point where they would sacrifice their   
lives for their cause.   
  
Ami needed to find out before the other sixteen   
forfeited their lives on whatever plan Death Phantom   
set them up for.   
  
Although it was still early in the morning there was   
one person up and about, if one could call it that.   
Sitting with her head down in her folded arms at one   
of the desks was Kanna Rajura, who obviously had not   
gone to sleep since Ami last saw her. Within arm's   
reach was her polearm, obviously providing her some   
sort of comfort by its mere presence.   
  
Unexpectedly she burst full awake as Ami got closer.   
  
"Oh, it's you," the Crystal Spider said with relief,   
her hand retracting from her weapon. "Didn't think   
you'd be back this soon."   
  
"I have the day off," Ami replied. "You look like   
you could use some sleep."   
  
Kanna nodded. "Yeah, I guess so... but things come   
up, you know."   
  
Ami pointed to the papers on the desk. "What were   
you doing that required you to stay up all night?"   
  
"I just got asked by the boss to figure out a way to   
counter a morale problem," she answered with a fake   
laugh. "I'm supposed to be a miracle worker or   
something." Shrugging, she added, "I guess it was   
coming."   
  
"What was?"   
  
"One of my friends died last night, at the hands of   
the Sailor Senshi. Not a whole lot of people know   
about this yet; we're leaving that up to his sister,   
who's holed up in her room. In the meantime, I'm   
supposed to get things done by tonight." She stared at   
Ami with her tired eyes. "I can't do everything at   
once; it's nothing like in the stories."   
  
"Is there any way I can help?" Ami offered.   
  
"I doubt it," answered Kanna. She ran her hand down   
her face. "Actually, there is something you can do."   
Reaching down to her belt, she produced a business   
card. "Order some nice flowers and send them there.   
The room number's on the back."   
  
Ami accepted the card, and read the title. "It's   
for a friend in the hospital?"   
  
Reluctantly, she nodded. "I wish I could apologize   
to them in person... I wish I'd done it sooner. But I   
never gave it a second thought, that I could've killed   
him. I never realized how much trouble I caused him   
until after... my other friend... died...."   
  
"Why aren't you going to see your friend?"   
  
Kanna laughed wearily. "His wife would kill me."   
  
---   
  
No sooner had the two finished their conversation   
Kanna gathered her papers and weapon, and walked out,   
likely heading for the control center, of which Ami   
had no access to without another accompanying her.   
Left alone in the archives, she glanced at the card   
again, wondering what to do.   
  
Seating herself at a desk, Ami got the impression   
that Kanna realized the error of her ways, and was   
trying to make up for it. It was a step in the right   
direction, but it was still a far cry from changing   
her goal, whatever that was.   
  
She mentioned that the man hospitalized in the   
bombing was her friend, but implied that his wife was   
not. Perhaps one reason the recovering couple refused   
to give Kanna's name directly was because of some kind   
of old obligation, something that transcended 'just   
friends.' It was a wonder that the wife was kept quiet   
the entire time.   
  
And still, the flowers had to be ordered. Kanna was   
emotionally vulnerable at the moment, and she was   
likely not the only one. Perhaps now is the time to   
try and sway views, Ami thought. The best way to do   
that, however, was to gain their trust. Perhaps the   
Crystal Spider was a good start.   
  
She decided to wait to see how Kanna's plan would   
pan out, and in the meantime she decided to order those   
flowers.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"So what's this supposed to be?" Shizuka asked as she   
rummaged through the equipment laid out on the table   
before her. She picked up a large tube-like rifle,   
which could have been a water gun if the designer   
wished it.   
  
"Oh, that's a new Deathbuster weapon," Shion   
answered, leaving his seat to personally handle the   
weapon. "We didn't have the model on hand, but we   
built it using the specs I found in the computer. I   
call it the Fire Buster Mark Three."   
  
"'Mark Three?' What happened to the other two?"   
  
The mercenary shrugged. "Beats me, but this one is   
a definite improvement over the other models. While   
the original could only extract heart crystals and spew   
fire, this one has an ice option on it." He adjusted   
the nozzle, and Shizuka heard a distinct click to know   
the weapon locked in place. "Observe."   
  
Throwing up a tennis ball-sized iron ball Shion aimed   
the fire buster and fired. A jet of clear liquid fired   
from the end of the star-shaped nozzle, catching the   
ball in its deadly stream and quickly freezing it in   
ice. When it landed the ball completely shattered into   
a million pieces.   
  
"Damn," Shizuka said in awe. "Remind me why I want   
to use the FIRE buster part again?"   
  
"Well, the fire uses up a lot less energy," Shion   
explained. "The ice mechanism eats up a lot of energy,   
but not nearly as much as the heart extractor. That   
one is an energy hog, and unlike the stars it draws on   
the same power plant as the rest of the buster."   
  
"Because the star drew upon the user's spirit energy,   
of course," she said in understanding.   
  
"The fire buster's power plant also draws upon the   
user's spirit energy, but in a much more efficient   
manner. The engine is so sophisticated it's a wonder   
it's technology made in the Nineties. I swear if I   
ever meet this Eudial person, I'll kiss her."   
  
"Don't get your hopes up," Shizuka replied, seizing   
the fire buster from the mercenary's hands. "This is   
no good replacement for my shotgun, but considering the   
firepower the Sailor Senshi are packing, I think I'm   
going to need this."   
  
Glancing back at him, she added, "While I'm gone   
will you look after Thanatos? I think he's getting   
sick."   
  
Before Shion could reply Kanna made her entrance as   
the double doors slid before her. She ducked under   
slightly allowing the polearm slung on her back to   
clear the top of the door. "Well, good morning,   
everybody." She raised a cup of coffee in greeting.   
  
"Ayame's still sleeping," Shion informed her. "She   
gave me charge of the situation in her absence."   
  
"Don't you ever sleep?"   
  
"I could ask the same about you."   
  
Kanna sighed. "Well, geez.... By the way, Master   
Higure's friend, Ami, is here. She's in the archives   
for your information."   
  
"Really," Shion said, nodding. "I didn't think she'd   
be back so soon. At this rate I could see her much   
more often than Hokuto."   
  
"Don't get your hopes up," Shizuka warned.   
  
"Well, anyway," the tactician Kanna said, "I want   
you to rouse the following people, so the plan goes   
like this...."   
  
---   
  
Pantyhose Taro carefully watched the activity around   
the control center, watching those such as the Femme-   
boy and more come and go. Not once did the leaders   
call him in, considering him still under punishment.   
  
No matter, he thought as he walked down the hall.   
I've got ways to make things happen, too.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
"According to Mercury," Mars said, "each one of the   
Fenril Knights is likely carrying a Black Crystal shard   
with them wherever they go. Since each shard gives off   
a negative energy spike all we have to do is look for   
those spikes."   
  
"I'm working on it," the technician said, busy   
typing away at his console. "I'm cross-referencing the   
information the passive scanners picked up during the   
Black Moon invasion with our current readings. It   
should take a few minutes."   
  
Mars nodded. The numbers of the Sailor Senshi were   
dwindling, with Mercury gone and Venus recovering from   
her strangely powerful wounds and bruises, all gotten   
by a wooden sword. Venus refused to let go of her   
opponent's bokken, holding it as in a death grip in her   
bruised right hand. All of this left only herself and   
Jupiter to fend against the supposed sixteen other   
Fenril Knights still running around, and it was looking   
to be terrible odds.   
  
She wanted to propose a way to augment their defense   
forces, unwilling to make a repeat disaster of the   
first Black Moon invasion, but she knew Neo Queen   
Serenity would refuse to ask their past selves for aid   
again, in fear that doing so would alter their time in   
a terrible way.   
  
She wanted to believe fixing the problem in the past   
would solve everything, but Mars knew just as well that   
even with knowledge of the future they still could not   
prevent the Black Moon invasion, nor could they beat   
Death Phantom's cunning even if they managed to do so   
with their younger forms.   
  
"I've got one," the technician said, breaking her   
train of thought. "There's a point in the 10th Street   
Market. Wait, there's another one... and another...."   
  
Like stars twinkling into existence as the night   
ascended to its zenith negative energy spikes appeared,   
one after another, all over Crystal Tokyo. Sailor Mars   
balled her fist angrily, realizing that her worst fear   
was coming true. There was no way two of them could   
beat thirty-plus enemies.   
  
"The bulk of them have to be droids," she realized.   
"I'm going out; inform Jupiter and Venus what's going   
on!"   
  
---   
  
Nerima District, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Ranma Saotome wished he recognized the place he   
walked.   
  
Merchants sold their wares to the early risers that   
morning, each all smiles as they made their business   
transactions. Wood-framed structures were replaced by   
opaque crystal, matching the rest of the crystal   
covering Tokyo. Everything appeared bright and cheery   
to the martial artist, but it served only to make him   
feel all the more unclean.   
  
"'Take a walk,' she said," he grumbled, thinking   
about what Kanna told him shortly after he received   
news of Kuno's demise. "It shouldn't be bothering me."   
  
However, it did. Ranma never gave Tatewaki Kuno much   
thought whenever he made himself known to him, but   
there seemed to be an irreplaceable void in his wake.   
He thought back to the old days, when Kuno would   
challenge Ranma over the most insignificant of things,   
even something as ridiculous as his own cursed girl   
form. He wondered how the others were handling it.   
  
Kuno was never the best fighter, he thought, but he   
was never one to give up. If that's the kind of fate   
that awaits us, was it worth fighting over?   
  
---   
  
10th Street Market, 10th Street District   
  
Shizuka thought she would get used to the weight of   
the fire buster as she carried it, slung over her   
shoulder, through the street. She ignored the stares   
she drew from the early risers, completely focusing on   
her mission at hand. While she hardly liked the task   
set before her Shizuka trusted Kanna knew what she was   
doing, if only because Shion trusted her so fully.   
  
She tried to push the thought of her snake out of her   
mind; such trivialities could get someone like her   
killed. Now certainly wasn't the time to die; Mizuki   
would kill her, wherever she was.   
  
In any case, it was better than being useless, like   
Ryoga Hibiki was.   
  
The priestess stopped in her tracks, however, when   
Sailor Mars appeared further down the street.   
  
"You!" Mars exclaimed.   
  
"Oh, it's the prostitute," Shizuka said insultingly,   
unslinging her fire buster. "Figures you'd be the one   
I'd meet first."   
  
Mars grimaced. "Didn't think to bring one of your   
flunky droids, did you?"   
  
"Hah, she's right!" The priestess adjusted the   
nozzle of the fire buster slightly. "I'm getting a   
really good reading on that heart crystal of yours!"   
  
Mars leaped out of the way just in time to avoid the   
fire attack, and Shizuka cursed her luck. She turned   
to adjust her aim, but hesitated for a moment. Taking   
advantage of it Mars threw a Burning Mandala in her   
direction, and it was all for the priestess to do but   
flame the incoming fireballs.   
  
Silently, she cursed Kanna for sticking her in a   
market, looking around at the numerous pedestrian   
bystanders at each side of the street. "Dammit, Kanna,   
why here of all places?" she hissed.   
  
It was one thing to distract the Sailor Senshi by   
raining fire on the crowd, but Shizuka was unsure as   
to how she could control the flame well enough for   
that. Cursing for the fourth straight time, she threw   
the fire buster over her shoulder and ran. Behind she   
heard Sailor Mars giving chase, and it was a wonder to   
Shizuka that she could keep up with heels.   
  
Everywhere her eyes turned there was more people,   
staring and watching her and Mars go by, typical of   
stupid people. They had no idea of the danger they   
were in, and yet they stood there like idiots. Shizuka   
wished they knew how much trouble she was going through   
just to get them out of the way.   
  
She spied a subway entrance, and despite her best   
judgement she jumped in, and people scattered. She   
raised her fire buster and shouted, "Everybody scram!   
Or I'll blow us all to Hell!!"   
  
Satisfaction settled in as she pushed her way   
further into the subway, and bystanders flooded out in   
panicked droves, buying her at least a little time to   
plan as they got in the way of Sailor Mars's   
entrance. Spying a subway car at the stop Shizuka   
ran to the control car, and lowered the buster   
menacingly.   
  
"Pull out, now!" she ordered, and the driver was   
quick to comply.   
  
No sooner did the subway train began its retreat into   
the tunnel Sailor Mars pushed her way in. Shizuka   
assessed the situation quickly, finding that there were   
still people trying to run from the crazy woman with   
the gun.   
  
It wasn't nearly enough time to formulate a plan,   
she realized angrily.   
  
"Eat buster!" Shizuka yelled, throwing flames with   
her fire buster.   
  
A ring of fire burst around Sailor Mars, creating a   
blazing wall between Shizuka and her enemy. Mars threw   
fireballs of her own, but they served only to fuel the   
firewall, and in the meantime it was growing smaller   
by the second.   
  
Shizuka rotated the nozzle. "Steaming hot! I do   
love boiling roaches alive!"   
  
The liquid ice compound surged from the end of the   
buster, and in desperation Mars blew up a hole beneath   
her, allowing herself to fall under and avoid both the   
closing of the ring and the ice burst. The stream   
splashed over one of the crystallized walls, icing it   
over with another layer.   
  
"There's nowhere to go!" Mars realized, leaping out   
of the hole the moment the fire ring dissipated.   
  
"Like bloody hell!" Shizuka hissed, firing more   
bursts of liquid ice.   
  
The soldier of fire ran an arc around Shizuka, and   
her shots completely missed and iced over more sections   
of wall. She cried, "What're you doing?! You want to   
make the whole place collapse on us?"   
  
Snarling in frustration, instead of aiming directly   
at her enemy Shizuka sprayed ice on the floor, creating   
a quickly spreading sheet. Mars jumped over the spread   
as it came her way, and summoned a fire snake to throw   
at the priestess. Quickly switching the nozzle back   
Shizuka threw flames at the incoming attack, but it   
was only a decoy as Mars's foot landed in her face.   
  
As the gun clattered beside her Shizuka felt Mars   
standing over her, and, to her dismay, people   
applauding her. Didn't they know how... no... forget   
it, she thought.   
  
"It's over for you!" the senshi informed her.   
  
"Well, pish-posh," snorted Shizuka. "You don't know   
me well enough for that." She smiled maliciously, as   
her spiel bought time for her to fish out a set of   
steel cards in her left sleeve.   
  
With a quick flick of her wrist, and too late for   
Mars to react, Shizuka threw three cards toward the   
wall section that was iced over. Each made its mark,   
embedding into the wall and creating quickly growing   
cracks.   
  
As the rumbling and cracking was underway Mars turned   
toward Shizuka with anger in her eyes. "You!! Why?!"   
  
Without giving an answer Shizuka flipped backward   
and knocked Mars over, sending her over the priestess's   
body. As she grabbed the fire buster sections of wall   
and ceiling began to collapse, now that the support was   
buckling beneath it. Shizuka had no intention of   
being around when it finished, and if Sailor Mars was   
smart enough, she would hasten her leave as well.   
  
Shouldering the buster, she reached to grasp the   
prism shard tied to her belt, but she saw that there   
were still people retreating from the subway-- those   
that were blissfully cheering Sailor Mars on earlier.   
Cursing her luck Shizuka unshouldered the buster and   
adjusted the nozzle, spraying a sticky substance at   
a section of the ceiling that was about to collapse   
over the entrance, allowing them time to leave.   
  
Amidst the chaos around her Shizuka's eyes caught   
two young children huddling in the corner, obviously   
separated from their parents during the panicked   
evacuation. Realizing Mizuki would berate her for   
cursing so much Shizuka rushed to their position.   
  
There was little time to act as the ceiling, breaking   
out of the sticky spray, collapsed over her.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"What just went on there?" Ayame asked as she viewed   
the main monitor, which currently displayed an aerial   
view of Cyrstal Tokyo and the target points. A large   
blinking red circle appeared near one of the points.   
  
"It seems to be some kind of an explosion," Shion   
said. "I'll direct one of the watchers over there."   
  
Ayame waited patiently as the small spy robot made   
its way to the devastated area. The main viewscreen   
opened a small window to the side, displaying the   
watcher's viewpoint.   
  
From the looks of it, the street collapsed on itself,   
with stone and crystal broken in rather large chunks.   
A nearby subway entrance was completely blocked, and   
many spectators were surveying the damage.   
  
"Who was there?" she asked.   
  
"Wait, let me check...." Shion ruffled through the   
notes Kanna had given him. "It's... oh man, it's   
Shizuka."   
  
Ayame cursed silently. Was this part of Kanna's   
brilliant plan? Why did the gods decide it didn't have   
to be a droid that got busted? "Recall her immediately   
or... at least get her to say something!"   
  
Frantically the mercenary pushed aside Kanna's notes   
and cleared the prism switchboard. Finding the switch   
that controlled Shizuka's prism, he flipped it.   
  
Nothing happened.   
  
Angrily, Shion flipped the switch several more times   
in rapid succession, even though he knew it would do   
no good. Grinding his teeth he vented his frustration   
by pounding the console. "Dammit! These things don't   
work when you want them to!"   
  
He jumped out of his seat, pushing back his jacket   
sleeves out of habit. "I'm going to get her!"   
  
But Ayame stood in his way. "Shion, forget it."   
  
"Why should I? Doesn't her life mean anything to   
you?"   
  
"Of course it does!" she vented angrily. "The fact   
is, alive or not, there's nothing you can do to help   
her. I need you here. If anyone else knew that you   
lost your cool over people dying then I'd lose face,   
too. And if that happens, none of us are going to   
survive, with people like Pantyhose Taro eating us up   
from the inside."   
  
Balling up his fists, Shion wanted nothing more than   
to push his way past her, but realized the truth in her   
words. Defeated, he returned to his seat. "She'll be   
back," he decided, unsure if it was delusion or fact.   
  
---   
  
Front Gates, Crystal Palace   
  
"Who would've thought that just walking out the front   
door would be so easy?" Pantyhose Taro said to himself   
as he spied the gates of the Crystal Palace. He turned   
to the one beside him, his co-conspirator after a   
fashion. "All you have to do is enter as part of one   
of the tour groups, and do your thing."   
  
Silently, the weary-eyed Ryoga Hibiki nodded. "It's   
the only way," he told himself.   
  
Taro nodded. If there was any way to take up the   
reigns of leadership from the bat bitch, it was to take   
out Neo Queen Serenity in the comfort of her own home.   
After all, it wasn't himself that was going to throw   
his life away in a suicide attack.   
  
---   
  
Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, Nerima District   
  
Ranma entered the restaurant unconsciously, as he did   
every other day for lunch back in the old days. His   
eyes brightened when he discovered that some things   
never changed at all.   
  
"Ranchan!" Ukyo greeted cheerily, in pleasant   
surprise. "What're you doing here?"   
  
"Heya, Ucchan," he said, waving. Curious customers   
turned to look, each greeting the martial artist in   
their own way, with nods and hellos. Although Ranma   
did not know most of them, he figured it was a way to   
score points with the chef-- be friendly with her   
friends.   
  
None of them were likely aware of the maliciousness   
that Ukyo was capable of, and if they did, it was   
likely a good thing she was almost always happy. Or,   
at least, appeared to be happy; she made it a point to   
not display anything but that face to a paying   
customer.   
  
"Oh, I've been around," he answered cryptically.   
"Off training and all...."   
  
Ukyo put on a more serious face. "But you were   
thinking about what the old man said, weren't you?"   
  
"Yeah, I guess," he admitted.   
  
"Truthfully, Ranchan," she said, "even when I'm doing   
all this wonderful business, and Konatsu's cooler than   
ever...."   
  
"Where is he, anyway?" Ranma interrupted.   
  
"Oh, he's out buying supplies," she answered. "But   
that's... well... everything's sort of conflicting with   
what the old man said about this place."   
  
"You mean about Crystal Tokyo?"   
  
The chef nodded. "There's no wars, no conflicts, no   
disease, no disaster, no... nothing. In fact, I'd say,   
excepting what you guys are doing, this place is   
perfect. Let someone else handle the saving the world   
stuff, if it's even necessary anymore. Actually, I   
don't see any way this peace could ever end."   
  
"I had the same thoughts."   
  
"Akane came in here once or twice; she was surprised   
to see I was back. She told me about you two breaking   
up over this...." She leaned closer and whispered,   
"I know I'm the last person you want to hear this from,   
but you have to go back."   
  
"Even if I did, things won't be the same as they used   
to be," Ranma complained quietly. "Too many things   
changed while we were gone. Your way of life is still   
here, but I don't have one... if I ever had one."   
  
"Looking for your niche?"   
  
"That, and," he shook his head, "Kuno kicked the   
bucket last night."   
  
Ukyo's eyes widened. "You're kidding."   
  
"That's what Ayame's been saying," he continued.   
"And Kodachi's not been seen ever since; she's hiding   
in her room, doing who-knows-what."   
  
"How are the others taking it?"   
  
"As well as it could be, I guess." Ranma shrugged.   
"I'm not sure what to think anymore. Kanna just told   
all of us to walk it off and think about it."   
  
"And that's why you're here, eh?" Ukyo tsked. "Not   
going to order?"   
  
Ranma snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh, yeah. Get   
me the same thing."   
  
In a flash Ukyo began working the magic of her   
trade, mixing up a new pitcher. "I don't think there's   
a reason to fight, really. I mean, if deaths like   
what happened to Kuno mean anything, it's that war and   
battle isn't something we should be desiring, is it?"   
  
"Maybe," he considered, "but martial arts is a way of   
life. This big threat must be in our imaginations."   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Although it seemed an easy task to heal Sailor   
Venus's wounds under the light of the Silver Crystal,   
it was still physically taxing on Neo Queen Serenity.   
As she replaced the artifact on the pedestal she turned   
to a nearby mirror, and stared at herself, realizing   
for the first time how weary she was.   
  
She imagined it to be just as taxing, if not more,   
on the three Sailor Senshi, now that they had to deal   
with thirty different targets at once. Jupiter   
notified her that many of the negative energy points   
on the map were single droids, each just as easy to   
beat as the last, and no sign of the Fenril Knights   
themselves. However, since it was a three on thirty,   
Queen Serenity knew they were getting heart crystals   
all the same. It was only a matter of timing that her   
senshi caught them and returned the heart crystals   
quickly. So far they met success.   
  
On the other hand, she lost complete contact with   
Sailor Mars, who disappeared after going after the   
first negative point alone. The queen knew there was   
the possibility that she was engaging in a heated   
battle with a Fenril Knight, and decided to wait it   
out.   
  
Most of her worry, however, fell in Mercury's lap.   
She disappeared into the heart of darkness early in the   
day, and while Serenity knew she had to keep her   
communications at rather inconvenient times she wished   
she knew what Mercury was doing.   
  
---   
  
Although the general alarm was sounded throughout the   
Crystal Palace word had not yet reached Neo Queen   
Serenity that an intruder was present. Ryoga Hibiki   
easily avoided or bypassed the security guards, as they   
were ill-suited for their jobs.   
  
"That's what happens when people get too complacent,"   
Ryoga said, shoving aside another guard as he   
continued into the halls. He wished they presented   
much more of a challenge, and something in the back of   
his mind wished someone would stop him.   
  
He had no idea where the inner sanctum was, nor did   
he care to know; Ryoga knew he would get there   
somehow. Fate had a way of getting him to the wrong   
place at the right time.   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ami was surprised to see that the rec room was quite   
deserted, considering that the day was still young and   
everyone had long since gotten up and left.   
  
Seated at one of the tables was Kanna Rajura and   
Shion Kagami, with the latter having his head down,   
buried in his arms, looking quite asleep, and possibly   
drunk, considering the drained glass next to him.   
Kanna sat back with her right leg propping up her left,   
reading some of her notes in a thin yellow folder.   
  
The only other occupant was Mousse, who was sitting   
in front of the television set, playing some sort of   
fighting-type video game now that a console was hooked   
up to it. He was so engrossed in his game that he   
failed to notice Ami's entrance.   
  
Kanna raised her eyes over the folder's level, and   
nodded in greeting. "Hey there."   
  
"Would you mind if I join you?" Ami asked, making her   
way to the seat opposite Kanna's.   
  
"Go right ahead."   
  
Quickly and quietly she pulled out her seat and sat   
down, settling herself in just as Mousse vented his   
frustration at the game and threw the controller on   
the floor.   
  
"What's wrong with him?" she asked.   
  
"He's trying to practice so he can beat Shizuka when   
she comes back," Kanna answered, as Mousse was making   
his way to their table.   
  
Ami shook her head, then pointed toward Shion. "No,   
I meant him."   
  
"Oh." She closed the folder and set it down on the   
table, just as Mousse pulled the seat opposite Shion   
backward and leaned over the top, sulking.   
  
"There's no way anyone could be that good," he   
muttered.   
  
"Well, some of us are better doing some things than   
others," Ami said, trying to cheer him up. "Perhaps   
you are better than her at some things."   
  
"Yeah, that's true," he admitted. Mousse peered at   
Ami carefully, holding the rim of his glasses out a   
little. "Say, do I know you?"   
  
"Mousse, this is Ami Mizuno," introduced Kanna. "And   
Ami, this is Mousse."   
  
Ami offered her hand, and Mousse shook it. "A   
pleasure to meet you."   
  
"Heh, another girl," the weapons master noted. "Any   
other guy would think it'd be Heaven down here in Hell,   
don't you think?" He glanced in Shion's direction,   
and was disappointed to see that he wasn't paying him   
any attention. "Right...."   
  
"You were playing that game a little while ago?"   
Ami said.   
  
"Yeah, you play those?" asked Mousse. "Ever notice   
how much Dreamcast controllers are unsuited for   
fighting games?"   
  
"If you would like, I may be able to help you," she   
offered.   
  
"I'd like to see that," Kanna admitted. She glanced   
at Shion. "Oh, stop sulking already."   
  
"What's wrong with him?" asked Mousse, repeating   
Ami's earlier question. "Lose his stomach?"   
  
The Crystal Spider shook her head. "More like lost   
his girl."   
  
"She's not my girlfriend," Shion muttered lazily.   
  
"Cool, an automatic response!" exclaimed Mousse.   
"Let me try!"   
  
"Who?" asked Ami.   
  
"Well," Kanna said, leaning toward Ami   
conspiratorially, "neither of them like to admit it,   
but I think Shion and Shizuka like each other."   
  
"Yeah," agreed Mousse. "We're taking side bets on   
how long it'll take before they admit it, much less go   
out." He produced a notebook. "So far the bet's   
looking in favor of three years."   
  
"Something happened to Shizuka, and we don't know   
what yet," Kanna explained. "Ayame's really pissed,   
but she won't show it. She wants to believe we think   
she's cold, but we know. Shion, on the other hand,   
can't work anymore." She shrugged. "Poor guy deserves   
a break after working non-stop for two weeks; he needs   
to get out more."   
  
"Not to mention it's only hours after Kuno died,"   
Mousse added. "We should be taking bets how long it'll   
take for Ayame to crack."   
  
Ami nodded. From the brief times she saw Ayame she   
appeared too young to carry the reigns of leadership   
of something as desperate as the Fenril Knights. In   
the short time she knew any of them, for that matter,   
they appeared to be pleasant sorts; these were people   
from everyday walks of life. She never met this Kuno,   
therefore the impact of his demise did not affect her   
in a harsh way, while the others seemed to be taking it   
well.   
  
Shizuka, on the other hand, Ami knew personally,   
having talked to her a great deal only a day earlier.   
It was unthinkable that such a naive girl would be the   
next to die in what would likely be a long string of   
deaths-- seventeen, if history repeated itself.   
  
For that matter, these people did not consider   
themselves anything in relation to the ancient   
Nemesian civilization; as far as they knew they were   
there. Ami wondered if Higure knew more about the   
subject, but thought better of it, remembering to not   
arouse suspicions.   
  
"I heard Kodachi's got his heart crystal," Mousse   
said, instantly jerking Ami's attention back to the   
conversation.   
  
"Even if she does, I don't know what she could do   
with it," Kanna replied. "I don't have any idea why   
Ayame wants those things, anyway."   
  
"Beats me." The weapons master turned toward Ami.   
"I'll bet you haven't a clue what we're talking about.   
We don't, either."   
  
"Who's Kodachi?" she asked curiously, unwilling to   
give them the information she knew.   
  
"Kuno's little sister," answered Mousse. "She's   
probably what Ayame's going to turn into if this bad   
luck streak keeps going."   
  
---   
  
10th Street Subway Terminal, 10th Street District   
  
Shizuka wished she could blame her problems on the   
subway, but knew that everything that fell around her   
was her fault.   
  
She sat up in place, and leaned back against the   
fallen chunks of stone and crystal, satisfied that,   
while the two children, a boy and a girl that appeared   
no older than ten, were scared stiff, but unharmed.   
  
That was more than you could say for yourself, she   
told herself, rubbing the sore on her back.   
  
"Bloody hell, what a mess," Shizuka noted, her eyes   
turning toward the rubble.   
  
"I'm scared," the boy said, the younger of the two   
children.   
  
"Hi there," the priestess said, but the girl would   
have none of it.   
  
"You're a bad lady," she said, obviously more in   
control of the situation than either the boy or Shizuka   
had. "You killed Sailor Mars."   
  
"Killed, huh?" She laughed. "I doubt it." Shizuka   
pointed further toward the rubble, and sure enough,   
Sailor Mars was lying on the ground, face down, looking   
as if she'd seen better days.   
  
"You're still here?" Mars said, struggling to get on   
her knees and off the ground.   
  
Although bruised, Shizuka was amused to note that   
the soldier of fire still had her fiery wit intact.   
"I'd say the same to you."   
  
"Now you're in big trouble!" the girl declared,   
giving a mean look to the priestess. "C'mon, Sailor   
Mars! Beat that bad guy like you did in...."   
  
"What's you're name?" Shizuka asked, interrupting the   
fanboyish remark.   
  
"Ai," the girl answered. She pointed to the boy.   
"That's my brother, Masa."   
  
Masa shirked away from Shizuka.   
  
"Oh, I see," she realized. "I'm the bad guy. Okay,   
I'll play the bad guy, all right." She turned toward   
Sailor Mars. "Well, how about finishing it?"   
  
"You've got to be kidding," Mars replied. "Even if   
we did continue the resulting battle would bury us   
even further, maybe for good. And it's not fair to   
these kids, either."   
  
"Exactly." She pulled the fire buster from her back.   
Turning the nozzle a bit, she pulled the trigger, and   
a small spark burst near the star-shaped hole. "Good,   
still works. At least that's one less dressing-down   
for the day."   
  
"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," Ai said.   
  
Ignoring the remark, Shizuka turned toward Sailor   
Mars. "I don't suppose your teleport-thingy can take   
multiple people, can it?"   
  
Mars shook her head. "I'll bet you can't do it,   
either."   
  
"So that leaves us at square one; all we have to do   
is wait for someone to dig us out."   
  
"Why don't you start digging?"   
  
"Do I look like I do physical labor?" Shizuka shook   
her head. "The entire point of being a summoner is to   
get other people to do the work for you. Thanks to you   
and your queen, I can't even do that anymore."   
  
"So who in the world are you, anyway?" asked Mars.   
"If you're a summoner priestess... there haven't been   
any of your type around for a thousand years."   
  
"And I wonder who's fault it is."   
  
"Summoners are evil," Ai voiced. "All they do is   
send their monsters against people and kill them. They   
eat children for breakfast."   
  
"You're not a nice person, you know that?" Shizuka   
informed her. "I could send the boogie men after you   
so they can eat you at night."   
  
The girl retained her defiant stance nonetheless.   
  
Shizuka turned her attention toward the boy, Masa.   
"Hey, little guy...."   
  
"My mommy said not to talk to strangers," he said   
defensively.   
  
"Well, that's good advice," she conceded, "but   
consider that you'll never meet new friends if you just   
keep to yourself. After all, they were strangers   
before you met them, too, right?"   
  
She reached to her belt, and pulled up the thin rope   
with her prism shard tied to it. Gently she slid the   
crystal out of its loop, and held it out for Masa.   
"You see this? It's a magic charm."   
  
"That looks nothing like what my mom got me at the   
shrine," Ai said.   
  
But this time it was Sailor Mars who hushed her.   
"Ai, it's good that you're looking after your little   
brother, but you don't have to do it by yourself. I'm   
here. I'll protect you and your brother."   
  
And you're probably wondering what I'm getting at.   
"Anyway, this protects you from the boogie men. While   
you're holding it, you'll become brave and make the   
bad things go away."   
  
"But you're... you're a bad person," the boy said.   
  
"Bad people aren't bad because they want to be," she   
replied. "Sometimes they're really good people that   
others think is bad. Have you studied history? In the   
past good doctors went to places less fortunate than   
us, and the people there thought they were evil. But   
it was not their intention to do evil; they had all   
the goodness in their hearts, and the best intentions   
to help these people."   
  
She pressed the crystal into his hand. "Hang on to   
it, Masa... you'll see that everything isn't so bad."   
  
For a moment the priestess caught a glimmer of hope   
in the boy's eyes. She sat back, still under the   
watchful gaze of Ai, and sighed. Mars dragged herself   
over to Shizuka's side, and leaned back against the   
wall.   
  
"That's a shard of the Black Crystal," Sailor Mars   
said. "What're you planning?"   
  
"What did it look like?" Shizuka replied. "The kid   
needs a confidence boost. Besides, it's useless to me   
now that I cracked it."   
  
Mars raised an eyebrow. "You like kids, don't you?   
Not a lot of people talk the way you just did."   
  
"Kids are smart, but you need to reason with them on   
their level. Can't talk to them like adults until they   
become adults. Fascinating, aren't they?"   
  
"You seem different than the last time," Mars said.   
"And you still didn't tell me who you are."   
  
"Really? I'm Shizuka, the demon hunter of Genbu. I   
used to hunt demons for a living, if you didn't catch   
that the first time."   
  
"Demon hunter?" echoed Mars, surprised.   
  
"You're lying," Ai accused.   
  
"You know, kid," Shizuka told her, "that flap of   
yours you call a mouth will get you in real trouble   
someday. Just want to point that out."   
  
"Yeah," agreed Masa. "Give the lady a chance," he   
pleaded with his sister, clutching the cracked prism   
tightly.   
  
"I used to live at the Shrine of the Four Gods,   
where the Gate of Heaven was," she continued. "But I   
guess you already know that."   
  
Mars nodded. "Yeah, we know all about that."   
  
"How unfortunate, that with the Gate sealed the way   
it is so are the powers I draw upon." Shizuka shook   
her head. "Of course, since you're attached to the   
ruling queen your skills still work."   
  
"That's not why they work," the senshi replied.   
"Yours aren't working because...."   
  
"Because I'm evil, huh?" finished the priestess.   
  
"That's not what I...."   
  
"No wonder kids like Ai are so judgmental."   
  
"Am not!" said girl complained.   
  
"Are too!" countered Shizuka.   
  
"Am not times two!"   
  
"Are too times infinity!"   
  
"Golly, you're such a kid yourself," Mars decided,   
groaning inwardly. Pulling her back to the subject at   
hand, she said, "If you're a servant of the people as   
you say you are, then why are you fighting us?"   
  
You're so hoping to get as much information out of   
me, aren't you? "If I told you, it'd be completely   
selfish and self-serving. From what I've seen I have   
no place in a world like this; despite what my job   
says I'm so self-centered the world implodes around   
me because of it. I want my job back."   
  
Mars blinked. "What?"   
  
"You heard me; I want to go back to hunting demons   
again. I never made a career out of pulling rabbits   
out of my hat because I like hunting."   
  
"There's no need for that...." the senshi of fire   
began to say, realizing that Shizuka knew this fact   
just as well.   
  
"So what are you doing?" asked Masa.   
  
"Nothing much, really," Shizuka answered. She   
reached into her pocket and produced a deck of   
playing cards. "Well, while we're waiting, how 'bout   
I show you some of my tricks?"   
  
"Street magician, huh," Mars said, sighing. "I   
guess it beats doing nothing."   
  
"Diversion, not hobby." She handed the deck to Ai,   
who looked as if she refused to touch them. "Look,   
kid, it's just a deck of cards." She fanned them out   
and held them for the girl to see. "There aren't any   
boogie men here; they're just normal cards I got at the   
grocery store. All I'm asking is to cut the pile,   
okay? Nothing dangerous about it."   
  
Silently, Ai took the deck, and did as instructed,   
handing it back without another word. Shizuka sighed,   
then turned to Masa as she shuffled the deck. "Now,   
Masa, here's how it's going to work...."   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Neo Queen Serenity waited patiently, her head low as   
she relaxed herself while standing before the Silver   
Crystal. She had little time to wait as the wall to   
her left burst into pieces, revealing a large hole and   
the one who caused the destruction.   
  
Huffing and puffing, Ryoga stared downward, and while   
he could not see her face he knew he was staring upon   
the monarch of the world herself.   
  
"You're one of the Fenril Knights," she said, without   
turning to face him.   
  
Although he hardly understood what the term meant,   
it hardly bothered the martial artist at all. Nothing   
else could. "Finally, I've found you. The only way to   
make things right is if I kill you." He sounded none   
too pleased with the prospect of slaying the world   
monarch, but there was no reason to be.   
  
Balling his fists, he spread his legs and braced   
himself for final impact. "Shishi... Hoko...."   
  
It was then that Neo Queen Serenity raised her eyes,   
but not on the martial artist, but on the Silver   
Crystal.   
  
"...DAN!!"   
  
Anyone looking in the direction of the Crystal   
Palace could see the telltale red column of frustrating   
energy, shattering spires and raining crystal all over   
the city. Those who were not paying attention before   
had ample reason to stare now as Ryoga Hibiki's   
desperation strike launched the grandest ki force the   
people had ever seen.   
  
---   
  
Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, Nerima District   
  
Ranma and Ukyo were among those in the Nerima market   
area standing in the streets at the spectacle. While   
many had no idea what it meant, both of them knew   
enough the significance of the blast.   
  
"Shishi Hokodan?!" Ranma gasped. "What the...?!"   
  
"It's coming from the Crystal Palace," Ukyo added.   
"You mean Ryoga's there?!"   
  
They watched as the ki burst descended from the sky,   
blotting out the afternoon sun completely, bathing   
everything in hellish red light. Like a meteor on   
final descent debris kicked up everywhere, throwing   
more crystal, wood, and stone everywhere. Both Ranma   
and Ukyo ran back into the restaurant, and hid behind   
the counter, each fervently hoping it would all go   
away.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"What the hell is that?!" Ayame cried when the main   
viewscreen picked up the Shishi Hokodan.   
  
Behind her, standing against the wall nearest the   
entrance, Pantyhose Taro snorted. If only they knew,   
he thought.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Shielding herself with the magic of the Silver   
Crystal, Neo Queen Serenity regretted not having   
prepared for the unexpected force of the expected   
attack on her. The light of the crystal absorbed much   
of the impact of her attacker's ki energy blast, but   
not enough that it could cancel it out completely. She   
hoped the damage that would surely follow was minimal,   
and no one lost their lives.   
  
On the other hand, the attacker, who she was certain   
was one of the Fenril Knights, was unaffected; he was   
standing there, barely clinging to life, but otherwise   
was unharmed by his own attack.   
  
When the attack concluded Neo Queen Serenity, cupping   
the Silver Crystal in her hands, lowered the field   
around her, and surveyed the damage. With the Fenril   
at the epicenter she found herself five meters under   
where the floor used to be in the chamber, digging into   
the layer of foundation that threatened to eat at the   
protective shell over the old Imperial Palace. Already   
she saw that the crystal was growing over the newly   
revealed foundation stone, preserving the damage as   
well as the pristine states. The ceiling, as well as   
all the floors above it, were gone, clearing the way   
for the afternoon sun.   
  
"How dreadful," she said unconsciously, thinking of   
her people.   
  
"It'll only get worse," the attacker said, having no   
hint of malice in his voice. Rather, it sounded quite   
sad and remorseful.   
  
"May I have your name?" Serenity asked.   
  
"Know that you'll die by the hands of Ryoga Hibiki,   
and that you killed him and his happiness as well. It   
can't go back to before ever again... I am unworthy of   
this existence."   
  
"Why do you say this, Ryoga Hibiki?"   
  
"I found my happiness with my one true love, Akari,"   
he continued, his voice cracking at the mention of her   
name. "I woke from a long nightmare, being apart from   
her for so long, only to find that she was different.   
No, she's never different; Akari's always Akari, no   
matter what. I changed. I changed, and I was unworthy   
of her love, because I'm dirtier than before."   
  
He raised his eyes sadly. "The standard of people   
changed during the nightmare. No longer am I simply   
messed up, I'm a disease."   
  
"There is no reason you should believe that," Neo   
Queen Serenity replied gently. "It is true that the   
standard of people has raised with my ascension; I will   
not deny it. I believe, however, that no one is   
'unworthy' to live on this Earth. If you feel this way   
I am truly sorry."   
  
"I don't need your sympathy," Ryoga said quietly.   
  
"I believe what I have done with this planet is true   
and correct. For each direction taken, however, some   
people are left behind. A difference in opinion is   
what divides humanity, and drives conflict. It is   
sometimes unavoidable, and unfortunate."   
  
"It was not long ago that we faced this type of   
terror. A splinter group of humanity chose to leave   
this Earth, and later returned to conquer it. They   
were no more evil than the nature of humanity; even as   
misguided as they were they were good people, and ones   
I regret we could not work together with. Many died   
needless deaths, as such comes when humanity comes to   
blows."   
  
"Ryoga, please understand that you are a good man,   
just as those who came before. My task is to look   
after the well-being of my subjects; you are just as   
important as they are. If you are truly unsatisfied   
with living under my rule...." She trailed off, unsure   
if she should consider the alternative option.   
  
"I don't belong in the living world," Ryoga said   
simply, gathering up more energy as ki lightning   
crackled around his arms. "I'm worthless to the others   
as well. The only way to end the fighting is if you   
die."   
  
"Why would you come to such a conclusion?" she asked.   
  
"Because Pantyhose Taro said so," answered the   
martial artist. "Because this is the only way I can   
help."   
  
"Your life is precious, Ryoga," insisted Serenity.   
"Your comrade, this 'Pantyhose Taro,' is only trying to   
make you guilty enough to throw your life away. Does   
it satisfy yourself that you are a tool? No, you are   
no tool; you are a human being. You have just as much   
right to live as he does."   
  
"It's not... without Akari...."   
  
"Ryoga," she said gently, watching the ki increase   
in intensity. She had no doubt the next blast would   
cause even more destruction. "Your happiness is   
important. Akari's happiness is important. She would   
be sad to learn that you died. Is that what you wish   
to happen? Do you want to make her sad?"   
  
He shook his head, lowering his eyes to the ground   
shamefully. "I want her to be happy."   
  
"Allow me to help you," the queen offered. "If you   
would submit to the light of the Silver Crystal, you   
would have the chance to make Akari truly happy. If   
you love her so, and she loves you so, then there can   
be nothing more happier than you two being together.   
It is entirely up to you; I am certain you know the   
alternative, and the consequences, of your decisions."   
  
Ryoga nodded slowly.   
  
---   
  
Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, Nerima District   
  
Although the shower of crystal ended with destruction   
in its wake, Ranma and Ukyo managed to get out of the   
smashed restaurant, both glad to have barely missed   
the large chunk that demolished the entire front wall   
and stopped at the counter.   
  
Up and down the street large shards of the Crystal   
Palace demolished the market, and the people began to   
filter back into the streets cautiously. Most,   
however, were still in fearful hiding, and for good   
reason.   
  
"Ryoga did all this," Ranma said.   
  
"Who thought the kid had all this in him?" Ukyo said,   
knowing it was a dumb question.   
  
Their attentions, however, were torn from the   
devastation to a bursting cloud of lightning down the   
street. The two martial artists ran down the street,   
dodging chunks of crystal as they went, to get a closer   
look.   
  
They made it just in time for Sailor Jupiter, the   
soldier of wood and lightning, shatter a droid into a   
million pieces.   
  
"Wow," Ukyo whispered in awe.   
  
"Oh my god, Ayame's going to be mad," Ranma said,   
noting that the demolished droid was holding a heart   
crystal, which Jupiter seized.   
  
The sparkling crystal disappeared in her hand,   
quickly flying off behind her to its owner. The   
sailor-suited girl wiped her brow, obviously taxed from   
her work. She stopped, her attention grabbed, and to   
Ranma and Ukyo's surprise, she turned toward them.   
  
"Great, more of you," Jupiter said.   
  
Ranma jumped back in surprise. "Eh... eh... er...   
no, it's not like that...."   
  
"What's the big idea?" the okonomiyaki chef shouted.   
"I thought you people were supposed to be protecting   
us!" She waved her arms around in a wide circle. "You   
see what they did to this place? My store's a mess!"   
  
"Finally, the real Fenril Knights," the senshi said   
to herself. "Two against one looks about good."   
  
"I'm not here to fight," Ranma insisted, backing away   
further.   
  
"What the hell is a 'Fenril Knight,' huh?" demanded   
Ukyo. "Why do you keep calling my friends that, you   
people?!"   
  
"You guys are definitely giving off negative energy   
spikes from the shards of the Black Crystal," Jupiter   
informed them. "But you're not getting away, not   
after what you guys did to the palace!"   
  
"HEY!!" Ranma shouted angrily. "What the heck are   
you doing?"   
  
"Supreme Thunder!" she cried, sending forth a bolt of   
lightning from the heavens.   
  
Ranma jumped out of the way, and Ukyo did the same,   
but while the martial artist was trying to get away   
the okonomiyaki chef was heading toward the senshi,   
pulling her combat spatula from over her shoulder.   
  
"Supreme this!" she cried, raising her weapon over   
her head.   
  
Jupiter rolled to the side, forcing Ukyo to crash her   
spatula's flat against the ground. She pulled her leg   
in a roundhouse and swept Ukyo off-balance, but not   
off her feet, as she was partially ready for such a   
retaliation. Ukyo leaped backward, tossing three   
spatula-darts in Jupiter's direction, but she dodged   
them easily.   
  
"We're going to need a much larger order for you,"   
the chef spat, wishing she had the rest of her combat   
equipment handy.   
  
"You're not bad yourself," Jupiter admitted, taking   
in deep breaths.   
  
"Hey, you two, cut it out!" Ranma shouted, standing   
between the two combatants. "There's no reason we   
should be...."   
  
His words were interrupted by a loud rumbling that   
shook the earth. Smoke appeared from down the street,   
along with the sound of crushed crystal. Three sets of   
angry red eyes wheeled into view, each running on a set   
of tank treads. Painted jet black, the newcomers were   
metal monstrosities, vaguely having the shape of men.   
The arms, always pointing forward, were equipped each   
with a cannon with utility option, for multiple   
usages when it was necessary. Their faces resembled   
death's heads, strangely smiling, and their eye sockets   
contained red, malevolent eyes.   
  
The lead GAIA wheeled forward before its brethren,   
and a voice issued from within its soulless shell.   
"Ranma, Ukyo... we're falling back now."   
  
The voice, Ranma knew. "Kanna?"   
  
"So I'm welcome?" Ukyo said, surprised.   
  
"Yeah," answered Kanna. "Forget the senshi; there's   
something more important to take care of."   
  
"Right," Ukyo said, nodding, sheathing her combat   
spatula. She eyed Jupiter carefully, who was watching   
the exchange with a certain fascination. "For a while,   
I thought I could live under your rule, but you guys   
are no different from thought police. Anyone that   
thinks differently from your views are branded as   
traitors. My friends... branded the name as the Fenris   
wolf that betrayed the gods. They're my friends, and   
no matter what, I'll defend them and help them. I   
won't forget this."   
  
"Neither will I," Jupiter promised.   
  
"Ukyo..." Ranma said, realizing that Ukyo was   
turning away from her life. In that moment, he finally   
understood and accepted why he chose to fight.   
  
---   
  
10th Street Subway Terminal, 10th Street District   
  
"There was a farmer that had a dog, and Bingo was   
it's name-o," Shizuka, Ai, and Masa sang, forcing Mars   
to cover her ears in disgust as the priestess sang off-   
key. She was likely doing it on purpose.   
  
She had to admit, however, that Shizuka was doing a   
pretty good job keeping the kids' minds off their   
perilous situation.   
  
Waiting for them to finish the song, Shizuka huffed   
a few breaths, obviously tired from her entertainment   
spree. "Whew... that was too much."   
  
"You sure have a way with kids," admitted Sailor   
Mars, almost forgetting that the priestess was an   
enemy. "There could be a future for...."   
  
"I don't think so," she interrupted. "You still   
don't get it, don't you? I...."   
  
A loud rumbling interrupted Shizuka in turn, and the   
children started to worry again. From the ground   
nearby a drill bit emerged from the ground, and the   
priestess recognized the GAIA-underground variant   
Mishima machine, URANOS, as it emerged from the hole   
it created. Where GAIA had two cannons for arms,   
URANOS had drill bits, in addition to the larger one   
attached to its back.   
  
"Shizuka!" Kanna's voice exclaimed. "You're alive!"   
  
"Well, duh," Shizuka replied. "What took you so   
long?"   
  
"Well, a lot's happened, really, but it'll have to   
be explained later. We need you to come back."   
  
"I'm not leaving," Shizuka said. "Not until you dig   
the rest of the way out, at least.   
  
"Why?"   
  
She turned toward the two kids. "Call it a favor, or   
call it a good turn, whatever. I'd rather see the sun   
than crawl in a tunnel."   
  
Sailor Mars had no reason to blink at this. How   
could such a basically-good person be so nasty?   
  
"Thank you, lady!" Masa exclaimed.   
  
"You're going to have to thank me some other time,"   
Shizuka replied seriously. "Where I'm going, I'm   
probably going to end up hurting you."   
  
The boy offered the cracked prism in his hand.   
"Lady, this'll help you. I don't need it anymore."   
  
Smiling softly, Shizuka accepted her crystal shard   
back graciously. "You look after your sister, too,   
eh?"   
  
Ai grimaced. "He's too young."   
  
"So are you!" Masa pointed out.   
  
As URANOS began its work drilling a way to the   
surface, Sailor Mars was left to her own thoughts.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
A reason to fight, Kanna thought, was the only one   
necessary in a battle of this nature. No doubt, losing   
all twenty-six droids and no heart crystals would hurt,   
but it was worth the full cooperation of all warriors   
under Ayame's command.   
  
It all went so perfectly, and more was yet to come.   
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Stay tuned for more.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	4. Electrical Burn

Souls of Fire #4: Electrical Burn   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ayame tapped her foot in disappointment as she   
glanced at the console where Kanna was seated at. On   
the main viewscreen she saw the retrieval of Miranda   
in progress, who was the only one with enough luck to   
not encounter a Sailor Senshi at all. Shampoo had a   
run in with Venus, Shizuka with Mars, and Ranma with   
Jupiter, and the rest of the twenty-six droids sent   
out were completely wiped out.   
  
And none of them returned with a single heart   
crystal.   
  
"What do you have to say for yourself?" she asked her   
master tactician.   
  
"You wanted me to retrieve at least five heart   
crystals, but you never added the criteria that they   
must be brought back," Kanna replied smartly. "On the   
other hand, you'll find the true intent of my plan   
most pleasing."   
  
"You wasted my robots for retrieval," Ayame said.   
"You wasted my droids for nothing. Why did you spread   
them out so thinly?"   
  
"The droids are expendable," answered the Crystal   
Spider. "Your robots are expendable. The humans,   
however, are not. They are far more powerful than your   
machines can ever be, be they technological or magical   
in origin. They need a reason to fight, and the will   
to stick to their decision. I simply made it so with   
our biggest doubter."   
  
"Ranma Saotome," Ayame realized.   
  
"In the process I managed to wring back Ukyo Kuonji   
as well," she added proudly. "The droids were not   
positioned in haphazard locations; they were placed in   
areas where they could lead the Sailor Senshi on a   
trail to the specific targets."   
  
"You got them attacked on purpose."   
  
"You got it. Of course, there was much risk   
involved, and some unforeseen events, but more or less   
everything is going according to plan."   
  
"I hope the mage bomb at the Crystal Palace was part   
of your plan," Ayame hoped, realizing there was a good   
chance that Neo Queen Serenity was taken out.   
  
But Kanna shook her head. "That wasn't my idea, it   
was Pantyhose Taro's."   
  
"Pantyhose Taro? How...?"   
  
"Someone as sneaky as he would surely get suspicious   
of my plans, so I counted on him doing something. Did   
you ever notice that Ryoga Hibiki was missing from the   
compound? It was Taro, of course. The explosion was   
what Ryoga did."   
  
"So we lost another," the leader realized.   
  
"I sincerely doubt we've heard the last of Neo Queen   
Serenity," Kanna added. "Ryoga is lost to us, for   
sure, whichever way it went, and we can deal with Taro   
later; he still serves a useful asset. All we need to   
do is wait for one of my pawns to execute the next   
phase of my plan."   
  
"And that is...?"   
  
The tactician offered a knowing smile. "You'll see,   
and you'll be very pleased with the results."   
  
After all, it was no accident that the four ended up   
where they were.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
"Your Highness!" Venus exclaimed, the moment she   
appeared at what was left of the inner sanctum.   
  
She stared down at the five-meter deep crater in the   
center, where Neo Queen Serenity stood, unhurt, with an   
unconscious young man at her feet, his aura clear of   
impurity as far as the soldier of love could tell.   
  
"Sailor Venus," the queen said softly, "see to it   
that this young man, Ryoga Hibiki, is given proper   
care. I will be quite busy channeling energies to   
restore the city with the Silver Crystal."   
  
Venus nodded carefully. She knew using up so much   
energy to restore the city's damage would drain a lot   
out of the queen and the Silver Crystal, likely opening   
her up to more attacks. Yet, Queen Serenity knew what   
she was doing, and she had complete trust in her   
people.   
  
If only she could say the same thing about herself.   
  
---   
  
10th Street Subway Terminal, 10th Street District   
  
The drilling robot model called URANOS burst through   
the collapsed rubble, sending those people digging from   
the outside into a panic and running. The machine   
pulled itself out through its own hole, and rolled off   
to the side, allowing the light of the afternoon sun to   
reach those that were buried alive moments before.   
  
Ai was the first to be lifted out of the hole, in   
Sailor Mars's hands, and she pulled herself out the   
rest of the way. Soon her little brother Masa   
followed, and by the time Sailor Mars poked her head   
out she saw the two running to their parents, happy.   
  
She couldn't help but smile. "It's things like this   
that make this job worthwhile."   
  
Down in the hole, Shizuka shouted, "Damn, yeah." She   
cursed painfully. "Now I don't have to pretend I'm not   
hurt."   
  
"You can't get up anymore?" asked Mars. "You really   
should see a doctor or something."   
  
Mars frowned in disappointment that Shizuka was none   
the least surprised that she knew she was really hurt,   
what with shielding the kids from the collapse. She   
herself had numerous bruises, but nothing too serious,   
thanks to her training, but on Shizuka's own admission   
she was not physically fit for this type of damage.   
  
"What's going on?" Kanna asked through the URANOS, as   
Sailor Mars dropped back into the hole.   
  
The darkness of the tunnel consumed her once more.   
She looked toward where Shizuka was leaning against the   
wall, her head tilted back, eyes closed, and a strange   
grin on her face, as if she was thinking of something   
rather amusing.   
  
"I'm no doctor," Mars admitted, "so I'm not sure if   
it's such a good idea if I move you."   
  
"Well, that's swell," the priestess said, chuckling.   
"Prisoner of war, incapacitated. I really hope   
Thanatos gets fed while I'm gone."   
  
"Thanatos is your...?"   
  
"Pet boa constrictor. He ate something bad yesterday   
for dinner."   
  
The light of the sun blotted out as URANOS dropped   
back down into the hole. "Shizuka? What's wrong?"   
  
The priestess laughed softly. "I've fallen and I   
can't get up."   
  
Mars turned toward the death's head seriously. "She   
needs to see a doctor. Leave her with me, and I'll   
take care of her."   
  
"I don't think that's a viable option," Kanna   
replied. "We'd get in big trouble for that."   
  
"She's hurt!" the senshi insisted. "I don't know   
what you guys've got, but I promise that Shizuka will   
get the best treatment."   
  
"Kanna... my back hurts, and it's getting hard to   
move my legs," Shizuka added. "Go back and tell the   
others what happened. Tell them I'm okay, and that my   
prism's fractured. Tell them that we can't fight with   
these civilians around...."   
  
The death's head's red eyes glowed in compliance.   
"Okay, we'll let this go for now." Kanna directed her   
attention to Sailor Mars. "You can take her to your   
doctors, but for only as long as it take for Shizuka   
to recover. No funny business, okay?"   
  
Without waiting for an answer URANOS dropped back   
down into its original tunnel, and as soon as it was   
gone the hole collapsed on itself, stopping any chance   
they could figure out where the hidden Fenril Knight   
base was.   
  
On the other hand, Mars thought, Ami would likely get   
that information to us anyway.   
  
And here she was, the original initiator of the   
entire conflict, Shizuka Minazuki. While Mars did   
promise to get her the best of attention, it also   
occurred to her that they could learn more while   
holding this girl in captivity.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ayame leaned over Kanna's seat like a hawk. "I hope   
you know what you're doing. It looks to me like you're   
making stuff up as you go along."   
  
From Shion's console the mercenary said, "At least   
she's okay."   
  
"I'll admit it wasn't part of the plan," Kanna said,   
turning away from the console as the URANOS went back   
to automatic. "I'm certain the Sailor Senshi know the   
possibilities of what they have in their hands. On the   
other hand, we've also got a foot in the door."   
  
"I don't understand," Ayame admitted. "Explain."   
  
"False sense of security. So long as they hold her   
they'll think they have a chance to stop us, either by   
putting her in front of themselves as a shield, or try   
to turn her. Shizuka's too good for that." The   
Crystal Spider folded her arms. "Beside that, I've got   
what I wanted. I got Shizuka, too, to clamor in favor   
of removing the civilian population."   
  
"THIS was part of your plan?" Shion yelled. "I   
wasn't looking forward to looking after the snake for   
a couple weeks, but now you're suggesting we remove all   
the people, too?"   
  
Ayame nodded, finally understanding where Kanna was   
going with all of this. Turning toward Shion she   
ordered, "Summon the Wiseman. We need to talk."   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
There was little time as Neo Queen Serenity and   
Sailor Mars exchanged their stories, and soon Jupiter   
and Venus arrived to join them, each having taken care   
of their appointed tasks for the moment.   
  
All four of them stood in the partially-rebuilt   
crystal chamber, where progress was done only to seal   
the holes in the wall and ceiling, but the crater   
remained. A layer of crystal was layered over the   
crater, leaving the floor beneath the four hollow, but   
no less sturdy. The Silver Crystal rest on a new   
pedestal, similar to the one destroyed in Ryoga's   
superior Shishi Hokodan attack.   
  
"Ryoga is resting in one of the guest chambers,"   
Venus reported. "He's probably going to end up   
sleeping it all off until tomorrow; he sure used up a   
lot of energy, but the doctors say he'll be fine."   
  
"Allow him to take his time," suggested Neo Queen   
Serenity. "When he wishes to return home, permit him   
so."   
  
"The city's a disaster," Jupiter said, taking her   
turn. "Everything within a thirty kilometer radius of   
the palace's been hit by the debris, but any injuries   
are minor. Only the buildings suffered major damage,   
and work crews are busy cleaning them up now."   
  
The queen nodded. "It appears we can no longer keep   
news of the threat from the people now. I will have to   
address them on the matter later."   
  
Sailor Mars took her turn. "The doctors are trying   
to examine the girl I brought in, Shizuka, but she   
doesn't want them touching her. She's holding on to   
that fire buster of hers like a doll, and won't part   
with it. Even though I didn't get a good look at it,   
it looks almost exactly like the Deathbuster weapon   
Eudial used."   
  
"So they really are using Deathbuster weapons,"   
Venus said. "The question is, where did they get them   
from? I thought we destroyed them all."   
  
"So did I," agreed Mars. "Otherwise, I think we can   
hang on to Shizuka for a while; she doesn't look like   
she'll be moving around much. We're keeping her in the   
palace."   
  
Queen Serenity nodded. "In any case the reason is   
not as a human shield. It is for her protection as   
much as our own when the people discover she is one of   
the enemy responsible for the damage."   
  
"In any case I think we need to be a little tighter   
on security on the palace from now on," suggested   
Venus. "From what the guards say Ryoga just walked in   
with the tourists, and nobody could stop him. I   
suggest we limit the amount of visitors until we can   
put an end to all of this."   
  
"In the event of an emergency I have ordered the   
installment of backup generators," Neo Queen Serenity   
revealed. "If worse comes to worse, we can shield the   
palace by fueling the barrier with these generators   
instead of your own powers. Unfortunately, it is not   
enough to protect the entire city."   
  
"Not that shielding the whole city'd help," Jupiter   
pointed out. "The Fenril guys are based in the city,   
too, and all we'd be doing is closing ourselves in with   
them."   
  
"What about Ami?" asked Mars.   
  
"She has not communicated, and will not communicate   
until later tonight."   
  
"So what can we get off this Fenril Knight we   
captured?" asked Venus.   
  
Mars shook her head. "I don't think we can get a lot   
out of her; she's the type that talks to pass time,   
but I did get some information out of her." She turned   
toward the Silver Crystal. "For one thing, she was   
fixated on her summon beasts, which I think means they   
are after the Gate of Heaven and its dimensional   
weapons."   
  
"The Kami Plane?" both Jupiter and Venus said,   
surprised. Neo Queen Serenity only nodded, slowly.   
  
"Apparently, they don't know, and I'm not going to be   
the one to break the news to her," the soldier of fire   
finished. She shook her head. "I kinda feel sorry for   
them, really...."   
  
"Don't you think we should try to tell them?" Jupiter   
wondered.   
  
"I doubt they'd believe us," Venus answered. "If   
they hear it from us, they won't listen and go on.   
When they find out for themselves, they won't be   
happy. Either way, the result isn't going to be   
pretty; they're probably going to keep attacking no   
matter what we do."   
  
"In their desperation to force open the Gate of   
Heaven," Neo Queen Serenity said, a certain sadness in   
her voice, "many more may suffer. Even if there is   
little or no chance for success, we must inform them."   
She turned to Sailor Mars. "I leave it up to you."   
  
"Me?"   
  
"This Shizuka may be more partial and open to   
suggestion coming from you. If she cannot be convinced   
of the danger, then it may be up to Ami to deal with   
the situation. The fact is, we do not know how they   
plan to force the Gate open."   
  
"But we can't drop it on her, not this soon," Mars   
suggested. "She's still pretty closed-up, so it'll   
take some time."   
  
"Pray that it does not take too long," the queen   
hoped, "for when that time comes it may be too late."   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"No, you're hitting the buttons too early," Ami   
instructed, watching Mousse try to execute her lesson   
in 'Fighting Games 101.' "Take it at a slower, more   
rhythmic pace."   
  
Mousse winced, the effects of his mistake reflecting   
off the lenses of his glasses. "Great, I'll never beat   
her at this rate!"   
  
"It takes time and practice," the disguised senshi   
told him. "You don't get good at these kind of games   
overnight. It is much like your physical martial art   
in that sense."   
  
"Right," he scoffed.   
  
"Perhaps if you look at it as a form of training,   
much like your art, maybe you can find the drive to   
learn."   
  
Before the weapons master could come up with a   
response the two were no longer alone in the rec room,   
as Miranda Kusao barged in, unannounced.   
  
"Hot damn, you're STILL playing that?" she shouted,   
her voice carrying across the room.   
  
"Where've you been?" Mousse asked, looking over his   
shoulder. "Everybody was gone when I woke up."   
  
"Early birds, man," Miranda said with a shrug.   
  
Ami took in the features of the newcomer as she   
turned to face her. She appeared about the same age   
as Mousse, and possessed hair just as long, but more   
frazzled at the edges compared to the weapons master's   
clean cut. She dressed in a plain, baggy, blue battle   
dress, tied off loosely at the waist with a simple   
belt. Miranda wore rubber gloves going up nearly to   
her elbows, and matching boots that extended over her   
kneecaps. The edges of her skirt were short enough   
that Ami noticed she was wearing a black body suit   
underneath, likely of much better material than   
rubber.   
  
Her most noticable feature, however, was her pair of   
red, demonic eyes. While the possibility existed that   
it was due to contact lenses, something in Ami knew   
that they were the real thing, and that alone set her   
apart from the others in that she could sense fear   
radiating from them.   
  
"Hitched up with a new girl?" Miranda teased,   
playing with her hair in a bored fashion.   
  
"Oh, this is Ami Mizuno," Mousse introduced. "Kanna   
says she's a substitute teacher." He turned toward   
Ami. "That's Miranda Kusao, Cinder's star-- and may I   
add, only-- pupil."   
  
"Heh, jet that, teach," the martial artist said,   
flicking a thumb backward. "This ain't kiddie stuff   
you're looking at, so how'd you get in?"   
  
"Pleased to meet you, all the same," Ami said,   
ignoring the girl's rudeness. "Mr. Furui invited me   
to come and go as I please." Mentally, she made a note   
to find out who this 'Cinder' was, if he or she was   
already taking on a student.   
  
"Gosh, and Ayame let you?"   
  
"So what's going on?" asked Mousse.   
  
Miranda shrugged. "I don't know, those commander-   
types are keeping to themselves, but I heard from Taro   
that Hibiki jumped ship on us. I don't care; I won't   
miss that spineless wuss. Oh, and Kuonji's back."   
  
"He left, huh?" Mousse said. He nodded to himself.   
"I guess it was bound to happen sometime." Looking   
back he asked, "Where's Shampoo?"   
  
"Probably in the gym, making a good punching bag out   
of a dummy droid mockup of Sailor Venus. At this   
rate, I won't be surprised when the next of us leaves,   
one way or another. It's getting crazy."   
  
Ami nodded in consideration. The Fenril Knights were   
not nearly as cohesive as she originally thought, and   
they were losing faith in themselves as more left their   
number. Perhaps this was another point in her favor;   
fifteen-- if you subtract the three heads, twelve--   
was starting to generate better prospects for battle.   
  
But any ideas would have to wait, as she would have   
to relay what went on in the compound to the queen   
later.   
  
She felt a tug at the back of her mind, and Ami   
knew that something bad was happening, and it was   
happening within the compound.   
  
Turning toward Mousse, she suggested, "Keep   
practicing, I have something to do." Standing and   
turning toward Miranda, she added, "Again, it was nice   
to meet you."   
  
Quickly, she left the rec room, and her sense told   
her to turn right. Whatever was going on, it was   
important.   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Chamber, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Sometimes it seemed to Wiseman that he was back   
assuming his role he served to Prince Diamond on   
Nemesis-- that of an advisor. In a strange sense, he   
thoroughly enjoyed such a position, and the benefits   
were threefold. One, all attention was on someone   
else, and thus he had time to spend on his own   
machinizations. Two, the leader often relied on his   
advice, which made him or her very controllable.   
Three, it felt good to be needed.   
  
It was a good sign that, upon his initial arrival to   
the Mishima compound, Ayame instantly took up the   
reigns of leadership, giving life to the uprising all   
by herself. She possessed an energy Wiseman no longer   
had, not since before his transformation on Nemesis.   
  
She, too, possessed the drive necessary to push on to   
the end, even without Wiseman's help, when the   
eventuality finally passed.   
  
He levitated in the air, showing no signs of   
weakness, and neither did Ayame, who stood up straight   
and proud, with her back to the door. Unlike other   
times she was alone, and standing on her own feet, with   
her own will as support.   
  
She is indeed strong.   
  
"I need to ask you a favor," the leader said, getting   
directly to the point.   
  
"Indeed." Wiseman's ethereal hands waved around the   
crystal ball in his lap. "Understand that favors are   
at the costs of others in turn."   
  
"Yes, yes, I know," Ayame replied, nodding. "Kanna   
managed to engineer the idea that it would be better to   
remove the civilian population from Crystal Tokyo, so   
we may attack the Crystal Palace without fear of   
tripping over our toes."   
  
"I see." Wiseman chuckled to himself quietly.   
Prince Diamond's people also had a problem with this,   
feeling that the civilian population would only get in   
the way of the true goal. "What do you have in mind?"   
  
"We want the simplest thing possible," Ayame said.   
"We want you to move the entire civilian population of   
Crystal Tokyo to Nemesis's capital city, Darkhold. The   
palace should be exempt of this."   
  
The old wizard nodded. "Such power is only provided   
by the power of the Black Crystal. It will require an   
enormous amount of energy."   
  
"Forget that part, we've already got that covered,"   
Ayame assured him. "We need to know it can be done.   
We'll have the energy ready to channel to your Black   
Crystal by tomorrow night; I've got the technicians   
busy working on an energy funnel already."   
  
"I see. The price is the service of two of your   
warriors, Cinder and Sypha."   
  
The leader blinked in surprise. "W-why?! They're   
our most powerful warriors!"   
  
"And such is the reason why I require their services   
on Nemesis," Wiseman continued, ready to throw the   
conversation in his favor. "Two more Sailor Senshi,   
Uranus and Neptune, are beyond the solar system at the   
moment, but they are poised to return in a matter of   
days. They are the Sailor Senshi's greatest warriors,   
each easily twice the match of the ones you have fought   
here on Earth."   
  
"So you're taking two of our finest," Ayame realized.   
  
"We will keep them busy from our staging ground on   
Nemesis," continued the old man. "I will prepare the   
Black Crystal for the energy funnel by tomorrow night;   
you will have your wish carried out, Ayame Mishima."   
  
For a moment Wiseman considered asking about Kanna's   
ulterior motive for this drastic measure, but decided   
against it. Time would tell if this gamble of a plan   
would work out.   
  
---   
  
Ami watched as Ayame exited the unmarked room, taking   
a brisk walk as she went, as if in a hurry. She   
turned to look at the door, peering suspiciously.   
  
There was no doubt in her mind that was where the   
negative energy was coming from, and it was far   
greater than that of each of the Fenril Knights   
themselves.   
  
As soon as she was certain that Ayame was gone and   
not coming back Ami stepped in front of the door, and   
eyed the security key lock to the right. Taking out a   
duster she lightly dusted the panel, finding which   
buttons had been pressed recently.   
  
She remembered that, before Ayame went in, she pushed   
six buttons, but only five of the buttons had been   
pressed, which made one of them a repeat. Thinking   
back more, Ami tried to remember the hand movements,   
but drew up a blank.   
  
Deciding it was worth the risk Ami tapped the hidden   
switch behind her left ear, allowing her scanner to   
form over her eyes. Using its functions she analyzed   
the depression scheme, calculating the last time each   
button was pushed. Finding the sequence quickly Ami   
slipped on a clean glove, deactivated her scanner, and   
input the code.   
  
At least now she could get to where she wasn't   
supposed to be.   
  
The double doors slid open quietly, opening up the   
hall to the inky blackness within. Ami gasped in   
surprise at what she saw inside, as it was the last   
thing she thought she would find.   
  
Death Phantom's pin-point light eyes peered down at   
her, piercing her soul.   
  
"What do you want?" he asked, in the voice Ami could   
never forget.   
  
---   
  
Ukyo's Quarters, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
The okonomiyaki chef lay stretched out on the cot   
that served as a temporary bed, her arms folded behind   
her head, staring up at the ceiling. The nearly   
empty chamber once belonged to Ryoga, she knew, and he   
never had any possessions to leave behind. In a sense,   
it was almost as if the underground resistance was   
trading one martial artist for another.   
  
For a moment she wondered about Konatsu, and leaving   
him alone again so suddenly. The restaurant was a   
mess, that's for sure, and it was the only thing that   
was needed to get Ukyo to snap. It was one thing to   
live in a perfect utopian society, but it was another   
to lose one's livelihood due to the blatant   
totalitarian attitude of the world's enforcers.   
  
She could not forgive them for branding her friends   
and acquaintances as traitors of the state, not when   
they had not done wrong. Ranchan himself had done none   
of the despicable acts the evening news put so much   
attention on, but he was blamed by association. Even   
her own association with them bought her a brand of   
treachery without justification.   
  
A low chime indicated someone was at the door. Ukyo   
reached to the box next to the cot that served as a   
makeshift nightstand, and pushed the lock control on a   
remote control key.   
  
Double doors slid open to the sides, and Ranma   
Saotome entered her life once again.   
  
Sitting up on the cot, she forced a smile on her   
face. "Hiya, Ranchan! What brings you here?"   
  
"Well... I was just seeing how you were, that's all,"   
he answered nervously. "I couldn't help but thinking,   
though...."   
  
"Did we do the right thing?" she guessed. "Of course   
we did!"   
  
Ranma raised a hand to object, but kept quiet. "It   
wasn't that, really. I was wondering if it was...   
okay for you to leave your restaurant and everything."   
  
"Ranchan, you gave up everything because you hate   
this world government, and I needed to do the same,"   
Ukyo replied. "We all had to make personal sacrifices   
to get here."   
  
"Yeah, but Ryoga's gone, and I have a pretty good   
idea who's behind that," the martial artist said,   
clenching his fists. "Whenever I find that bastard   
Pantyhose Taro...."   
  
Another chime sounded, and Ukyo switched the door   
open again.   
  
"Well, if it isn't the spatula girl," Shampoo said   
in greeting. She turned toward Ranma. "What's taking   
so long?!"   
  
"Shampoo!" the chef exclaimed. "What're you doing   
here, giving me a welcoming party?" She turned to   
Ranma. "You're not throwing a party in my room, are   
you?"   
  
Ranma shook his head defensively.   
  
"Sitting back lazy on the job!" the Chinese Amazon   
accused. "It's YOUR turn to cook!"   
  
"Cook?"   
  
"Well... uh... Ucchan, it's like this," Ranma said   
with a nervous chuckle. "Y'see, nobody wants to eat   
Kodachi's food, everyone is pretty much a mediocre   
cook and cooks for themselves...."   
  
"And Shampoo is the one stuck serving everybody!" she   
finished. She grabbed Ukyo by the arm. "From now on   
you're on kitchen duty!"   
  
"Oh great," she muttered, getting dragged away by   
her old nemesis, "I came here to fight, and I get   
delegated kitchen duty."   
  
"Well... we all gotta do our parts," Ranma said,   
shrugging.   
  
---   
  
Kodachi's Quarters, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
The brotherless girl sat in the corner of the dark   
room, with all lights turned off. Not even that,   
however, could stop the illumination that bothered her   
eyes so much, not because of the light, but because it   
reminded her of the now-lost Tatewaki Kuno.   
  
The heart crystal belonging to the now-dead kendoist   
levitated in the air over the Deathbuster star now   
lying on top of the nightstand, easily removed from   
Kodachi's palm. She gazed at the light through dry   
eyes, for she had long since cried out all the tears.   
  
There was no longer a need to cry.   
  
Uncurling herself Kodachi stood up, and approached   
the heart crystal slowly, thoughts of her dead   
brother dredging up as she went. She remembered the   
first time she recognized his face, as a little girl.   
She remembered each and every fight she had with him,   
over the most insignificant of things, and each time   
they made up. She remembered his laugh, his smile,   
his flair, his skill....   
  
And now, she would never forget those memories, and   
Tatewaki Kuno would live forever.   
  
Seizing the heart crystal from its suspension Kodachi   
felt nothing in her hands as she held it; the crystal   
was as light as a feather. Gazing into the light, she   
hesitated, but found new strength to go on as she   
finally remembered how Tatewaki died.   
  
A slow, dishonorable, treacherous death, in a duel   
won unfairly by the enemy.   
  
"On my dear brother's name," she vowed, "I will find   
that woman who stole her ill-gotten trophy of battle,   
the wooden sword of Tatewaki Kuno, and destroy her.   
When that sword is back in Kuno hands, only then can   
he rest easy!"   
  
Opening her mouth wide, Kodachi Kuno swallowed the   
heart crystal.   
  
---   
  
Ami's Apartment, 10th Street District   
  
Ami collapsed on her bed, thankful that she got   
through the day at the Mishima compound relatively   
well for a spy.   
  
She knew her work was not done, however, as she   
slipped the communication mirror into her fingers and   
opened its magic to communicate with Neo Queen   
Serenity, who was waiting anxiously.   
  
"Ami, we have reason to believe that the Fenril   
Knights may be planning on forcing open the Gate of   
Heaven," the monarch said quickly. "There is little   
time to act. You must find the means by which they are   
going to force the Gate open, for I fear they have the   
means."   
  
Ami blinked, speechless. "They... they can't!"   
  
"We are attempting to work on a means to counter   
the threat, but we may not be able to stop them," the   
queen added. "Sailor Mars has brought in one of the   
Fenril Knights, Shizuka Minazuki, and we are attempting   
to reason with her."   
  
"You have Shizuka?" Ami said. "Does she know?"   
  
Queen Serenity shook her head. "We also have a   
reformed Fenril in the palace, recovering. However,   
their numbers may not dwindle fast enough. They may   
complete their plans soon."   
  
"Oh, there's something else," Ami voiced. "I trailed   
their leader, Ayame, to a sealed-off room. I managed   
to get inside, and Death Phantom was there."   
  
The monarch's eyes widened. "What happened?"   
  
Ami shook her head. "I have no idea. I opened up   
the door, and even though he didn't look surprised to   
see me, he also had no idea who I was. He asked what   
I wanted... and I asked him to show me the future."   
  
"Then?" Ami could see her friend's excitement.   
  
"He showed me Crystal Tokyo, demolished. After that,   
he told me to leave." She paused to catch her breath.   
"Do you realize what this means?"   
  
"Death Phantom is up to his old tricks again," Neo   
Queen Serenity concluded. "Thinking you are one of his   
pawns he is showing you exactly what you want to see."   
  
Ami shook her head. "No, it's much more significant   
than that. In the past Death Phantom could see through   
our magicks as easily as if it were a veil. Now,   
though, he can't tell the difference. There's   
something wrong with him."   
  
"He should not have survived in the first place,"   
the queen pointed out. "We thought the Silver Crystals   
should have destroyed him, but his reappearance proved   
otherwise. It may be possible that he did not escape   
completely unscathed." She turned her attention back   
to Ami. "Please, Ami, refrain from taking such risks   
again. If you encounter Death Phantom a second time   
the results may not be the same."   
  
"I understand," Ami replied with a nod. "But now   
that I have the access code I may be able to find the   
way the Fenril Knights are planning on opening the Gate   
of Heaven. If I have to I'll expose myself to destroy   
it."   
  
---   
  
R&D, Mishima Heavy Industries,   
The Next Day   
  
Early morning, Ami knew, was the best chance to get   
things done without anyone noticing.   
  
She made her way through the halls, to the area where   
a security code was required to enter the rest of the   
compound. The elevator would only go up or down a few   
floors with no access key, and it required a card key   
to access the other floors, therefore Ami had to rely   
on the stairs.   
  
She stopped her descent down the stairwell when she   
hit the first door with a security lock on it. She   
was tempted to type in the access code she had, but   
stopped, remembering that it was Ayame's own code, and   
it would definitely look suspicious if she herself was   
the one who entered.   
  
Ami switched on her scanner, and tried to find any   
sequences in the panel, but it appeared that no one   
had touched this door for over a thousand years. She   
produced her palm-top computer, extending a jack at its   
end into a terminal port at the bottom of the button   
pad. Utilizing her more advanced machinery Ami easily   
hacked through the Mishima central computer, and it   
spit out the access code of a former employee.   
  
Committing the code to memory Ami put her equipment   
away and typed in the code with her gloved fingers,   
sighing with relief when the lock accepted the code.   
  
Peering into the new hallway Ami was surprised to see   
there were no security cameras at all; it was quite a   
bit of overconfidence on the side of Mishima for this,   
as it made her job easier.   
  
Quickly she raced down the halls, looking for door   
markings that would indicate a special importance. In   
her mind, Ami rationalized that Mishima would make   
their most important developed merchandise in a less-   
obvious location-- namely, among the rest of the   
mundane equipment.   
  
However, the trend did not follow when Ami noticed   
the double doors at the end of the hall were wide   
open. She quietly made her way there, noting with   
puzzlement that someone left it open on purpose,   
sticking a wooden plank between the two doors on the   
floor.   
  
Peering inside she found the area devoid of people,   
and unoccupied due to the darkness. Not willing to   
risk turning on the lights, Ami stepped within.   
  
This development chamber was far larger than any of   
the other ones, and likely covered many of the lower   
floors. Ami stared over a catwalk railing, seeing that   
the bottom was well over a hundred meters down. She   
turned her eyes to what was being worked on that was so   
huge, and gasped.   
  
The monstrosity was a giant mechanical creature that   
vaguely resembled a suited knight. Standing over   
seventy meters tall it severely dwarfed Ami many times   
over. From the looks of it the giant machine was not   
yet completed, but Ami knew stories well enough to know   
it was a mecha, straight out of television anime.   
  
"What're you doing here?"   
  
Ami jumped in surprise, turning left toward the   
source of the voice. Ascending stairs up to her level   
of the catwalk was one of Ayame Mishima's right-hand   
men, Shion Kagami, holding a flashlight in Ami's   
direction.   
  
"Sh... Shion?" she blurted.   
  
"Geez, it's you, Ami," he recognized. "How'd you   
get in?"   
  
Quickly racing for a cover story, Ami answered, "I...   
well... just walked in because the doors were all open,   
and...." She hoped there were more open doors.   
  
Somehow, luck played on her side. Shion sighed. "I   
guess so... but please don't tell Ayame I've been doing   
it, okay? It's a major pain in the ass to keep opening   
all the doors like that...."   
  
Ami nodded. She gestured toward the mecha. "That...   
what is it?"   
  
"Isn't it impressive?" Shion said proudly. The   
mercenary folded his arms, and focused the flashlight   
on the mecha. "Ayame wasn't too happy that I was   
getting this built, but I couldn't resist. It's got no   
power plant yet, so when it's finished it'll just be a   
life-sized model." He chuckled. "For now."   
  
"You're a fan of mecha anime?" she asked, gaining   
confidence.   
  
He nodded. "This is my favorite one of all time,   
Neue Ziel. I mainly wanted to see how it would look   
like in person, and the eggheads never disappointed   
me a bit." Shion sighed. "I don't think it'll ever   
fly, realistically. It's way too heavy, and it was   
meant for space combat."   
  
"I see." Well, that was one reason to be fortunate,   
Ami thought. A monstrosity that huge would be a   
difficult opponent to destroy.   
  
"Well, while we're here," he continued, "I may as   
well show you the power plant the eggheads finished a   
little while ago. It'll never get used for the Neue   
Ziel, but you may as well know while you're here."   
  
Shion beckoned Ami to follow, and he lead her down   
the catwalk whence he came. They stopped at an   
elevator car, taking it all the way down to the bottom,   
allowing Ami to take in the scale of the nightmarish   
Neue Ziel.   
  
But her attention was quickly torn away when she   
saw the engine. It was not nearly as large as Neue   
Ziel, as it was a cube roughly nine meters in length.   
Cables and tubes ran to diagnostic equipment strewn   
around all over the place. Sitting on top of the cube   
was what appeared to be a perfect sphere, with lines of   
cracks running down in what Ami imagined would reveal a   
flower pattern once opened up.   
  
She knew it to be a flower pattern, because the   
spheroid device was a Mekani void-ripper.   
  
"What's wrong?" Shion asked, and Ami realized she   
gasped out-loud.   
  
"N-nothing!" she replied quickly, trying to recover   
from her shock, but failing miserably.   
  
"Scary, isn't it?" he continued. "I could go through   
so many descriptions how something so perfect in shape   
could be frightening. It's a monument of the regime of   
order, just like the spires of the Crystal Palace. No   
imperfections mar it, no randomness at all, and no   
chaos element." Shion waved his arms about grandly.   
"The penultimate evolution of the machine is perfect,   
rigid order. It's a wonderful thing, to work as   
efficient as possible, but it also loses the flair of   
being unique."   
  
"What are you saying?"   
  
"I'm saying that this engine mirrors Crystal Tokyo,   
and the Earth, for that matter." Shion removed his   
glasses, and held them out before his eyes. "It is   
where the individual thought and personality is   
obliterated in favor of harmony. It is where order   
takes precedence of chaos. It is where the sheer   
randomness is taken out of the equation, because all   
variables are controlled."   
  
"That's not true," Ami countered. "The people of   
Earth are free to express themselves, but not to the   
point where it interferes in the lives of others.   
Every day is a day full of new experiences; it's not a   
matter of repeating the same routine over and over   
again. And while order exists to keep the people   
harmonious, some randomness still occurs; just like   
the attack on the Crystal Palace yesterday."   
  
Shion snorted, apparently unsurprised that Ami knew   
of the incident. "Well, whatever. I can't argue for   
extended periods of time on an empty stomach. Care to   
join me for breakfast? We've got a new cook, Ukyo   
Kuonji."   
  
"I'd like that," she answered, thinking that leaving   
sooner would be best. After all, she was certain she   
was already suspicious enough to Shion.   
  
---   
  
Infirmary, Crystal Palace   
  
Although it took much effort to remain awake during   
the entire period, Shizuka Minazuki was aware of what   
was going on around her.   
  
She clutched onto the fire buster more tightly, the   
last working device she had on her. Shizuka rolled to   
her side, glancing at the fractured black crystal   
prism lying on the desk across the room, away from her   
bed, and knew her only chance of easy escape was gone   
before she thought of it.   
  
Over the night the priestess of Genbu had a terrible   
time sleeping, and every once in a while picked up on   
the conversations that the Crystal Palace personal   
doctors were talking about outside, as they always left   
the door open, to Shizuka's annoyance. She had no idea   
how they found out, as she was resisting all   
examination quite fiercely, but the doctors mentioned   
that she was bleeding internally, and there was very   
little they could do to help.   
  
She wanted to curse her luck, and curse a few more   
times, but realized the futility of such things; Mizuki   
would berate her if she tried, wherever she was.   
  
The only way they could have examined her was if they   
did it while she was asleep... knocked out with drugs,   
or whatever....   
  
"Your Majesty!" she heard one of the doctors   
exclaim. "What are you doing here?"   
  
"Is the patient awake?" she heard-- she guessed the   
queen herself-- ask, in a gentle tone.   
  
A moment later the doctor poked his head inside for   
a second. "I think it'll be okay, but keep it limited   
for now."   
  
Shizuka rolled back onto her back, and was thankful   
the mattress was very comfortable, as it helped relieve   
the pain in her back. She watched as Neo Queen   
Serenity, decked in blinding white robes, entered,   
followed by Sailor Mars. Shizuka already had a pretty   
good idea where this was going.   
  
"So you're Neo Queen Serenity," the priestess said.   
"Sorry, if I could kneel before you, I would, but the   
doctors say I'm not going to live long enough-- tough   
luck for you."   
  
"I'm glad you're in high spirits," Mars replied   
neutrally, and Shizuka was unsure if she was amused or   
pitying her. "How're you feeling?"   
  
"As well as anyone can be when they're dying a rather   
slow death, what else?"   
  
"Your name is Shizuka, of Genbu, correct?" Neo Queen   
Serenity asked.   
  
She nodded quietly.   
  
"Shizuka, your life is important," the monarch   
continued. "The doctors can no longer help you, but   
there is a way to save you."   
  
"Like you saved Kuno?" Shizuka shot back, visibly   
wounding Serenity. "He died a lot quicker, but you   
made no move to help him."   
  
"That was different," Mars countered. "Your friend   
had no inclination to try and save himself if he had   
one of those Black Crystal shards like you do."   
  
"Oh, that's the funny part," the priestess said. "He   
didn't have it on him when he died, but he had to have   
it when he went to duel your Sailor Venus. You have   
the body; you find it."   
  
Mars drew up a blank stare, realizing that Shizuka   
was right about the shard.   
  
"I am truly sorry about your friend," the queen   
offered, "but it cannot be helped anymore. We can help   
you." She held up the Silver Crystal in her hands.   
  
Shizuka peered at the shining crystal, unable to lean   
forward in bed to get a closer look. "Oh swell, I'm   
placing my life in the hands of a bauble."   
  
"With your permission, I would like to heal your   
injuries with the crystal."   
  
"But what's the catch?"   
  
"There is no catch. You will be free to do whatever   
you please."   
  
"So you're saying that I could be healed in seconds   
than weeks, if I wasn't going to die. Did your   
priorities change all of a sudden, and I became much   
more important?"   
  
"We wouldn't have offered you this unless we were   
certain your life was in danger," Sailor Mars assured   
her. "We had no idea that your wounds were that   
serious."   
  
"So now we're at a funny dilemma." Shizuka snorted,   
holding the fire buster up with nozzle toward the   
ceiling. "Since I'm bleeding internally, and there's   
nothing the docs can do to help, you can't keep me for   
weeks on end and crunch all the information out of me   
like you hoped. On the other hand, I rather value my   
life, and you want to use the bauble to fix my little   
problems. But then, that's probably the same bauble   
that took out everybody on Earth, so what's to stop you   
from changing me into one of your drones while you're   
at it?"   
  
"We promise not to do anything like that," Mars   
replied convincingly. To Shizuka's ears she sounded   
quite sincere. "If you don't want to change, that's   
up to you, but what's important right now is seeing   
that you don't die. We won't let you die."   
  
"No, of course not," Shizuka muttered, lowering the   
fire buster with the nozzle end facing toward Neo   
Queen Serenity and Sailor Mars. "If I die there's no   
way you can stop us from blowing your city to Hell.   
Yet... I'm sitting here, at an interesting position.   
I'll die anyway, and I can take both of you out with   
me. Wouldn't that be a treat?"   
  
"You would not do that," Neo Queen Serenity replied   
calmly. "Mizuki would be sad."   
  
For the first time Shizuka lost her perceived verbal   
advantage. She blinked in confusion as the queen's   
words settled in her mind, tossing it about like the   
dryer at the Laundromat. She tried to say something,   
but all that would come out was nothing, instead   
mouthing the words, "How did you know?"   
  
A sudden chill ran down her spine, and ran through   
the rest of her body, up her arms and through her   
legs, and Shizuka found that she could no longer keep   
her grip on the fire buster. It fell to the ground   
at the side of the bed, clattering against the crystal   
floor and rolling a little. Neo Queen Serenity's eyes   
appeared much sadder than they had before, and somehow   
Shizuka realized what she was trying to say.   
  
"Damn you," she hissed, fighting against tears that   
formed against her will. "Damn you and your Silver   
Crystal...."   
  
Sailor Mars was apparently surprised at the sudden   
turn of events, but Serenity only moved closer,   
offering a shoulder to lean on quietly.   
  
"Damn you, damn you, damn you," she repeated, each   
successive statement growing progressively weaker as   
she collapsed on her own feelings.   
  
---   
  
Silently, the queen of Earth and Sailor Mars walked   
the empty halls of the palace, still being magically   
reconstructed by the crystal growth, and the supports   
designed to train the growth in certain directions.   
Neither spoke a word as they finished their business   
with Shizuka, who collapsed unexpectedly to news   
completely out of ears to Mars.   
  
Shizuka was in no mood to be healed completely, as   
she only agreed to be healed enough such as to stop her   
internal bleeding, and put her out of danger. The rest   
of the healing process was up to her, if she wanted to   
be helped at all.   
  
"You didn't tell her anything I didn't hear, did   
you?" Mars asked her friend carefully. "From what it   
looked like Shizuka figured everything out just from   
mentioning 'Mizuki.'"   
  
Neo Queen Serenity nodded. "That she did. This girl   
may know more than she lets on, and that makes her more   
formidable an opponent."   
  
"Which makes it all the more important that we make   
her an ally," Mars replied. "She has to know a lot of   
things we don't. What I wonder is if her Fenril pals   
know this, too."   
  
"I am under the impression that they are unaware of   
this apparent fountain of knowledge," Serenity said.   
"Had this been the case they would be unwise to allow   
her to roam free as she did."   
  
"Maybe. But what'll we do about her now?"   
  
"Continue visiting her, but not too often," the   
queen suggested. "It will take time before we can   
convince her to side with our cause. For now, allow   
her time to think through the recent events. She is   
no danger to us."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Shion barged into the chamber alone, where the only   
occupants were, as usual, Kanna and Ayame. "Well, you   
can lay your worries to rest, Ami can be trusted."   
  
"You've got to be kidding," Ayame replied. "I   
thought you said she snuck into the R&D."   
  
"She did." The mercenary held up a folder. "First   
of all, I left certain doors open on purpose to see if   
she'll come in. Not only did she come in, but she   
lied and actually hacked one of the security doors with   
an old access code. Rather sloppy to use that code,   
but I commend her for not using one of ours."   
  
"Typically I'd think that means you CAN'T trust   
her," Kanna pointed out.   
  
"She's a fellow hacker," Shion replied, as if that   
alone would answer any question. When both girls drew   
blank stares he explained, "She's got the guts to go   
into places where she's not supposed to be. She's got   
a curiosity edge, too. And when she got caught in the   
act, she backpedaled onto the obvious... the doors were   
all open."   
  
Ayame waved her arms in confusion. "Is this another   
of your 'honor among thieves' things?"   
  
"I'm not a thief," the mercenary corrected, "I'm a   
hirable professional. Anyway, I had a little chat with   
her over breakfast, and it turns out Ami knows a good   
deal about computers, electronics, and the rest of the   
whole shebang. Everything guys like me need to know.   
Best of all, she's smart."   
  
"The more the reason to be wary," Kanna said dryly.   
"She could easily pull the plug on us."   
  
"The fact is, she didn't."   
  
"Not yet."   
  
"Enough," Ayame decided. "Shion, do you trust her?"   
  
He nodded.   
  
"Kanna, do you trust her?"   
  
She shook her head.   
  
"That's good enough for me, then." Ayame turned to   
consider the split in her two closest advisors. "You   
see, that means one of you is right. Furthermore, it   
means I really do have to listen to both of you, and   
that each of you have differing thinking. Do you   
understand why I trust you both completely?"   
  
Both nodded.   
  
"As for our Ms. Mizuno, relax your watch on her, but   
keep an eye on her. I don't expect her to do anything   
drastic, but just in case wipe the old access codes,   
and re-encrypt our own codes."   
  
"Well, there's only a finite number of combinations   
in a keypad lock," Shion pointed out. "She's bound to   
get where she wants if she wanted to."   
  
"That's why I want you to implement new security   
measures," Ayame replied. "Ones that are not readily   
apparent, and that cannot be toggled with simply a   
key pass."   
  
"Where is Mizuno now?" asked Kanna.   
  
"She should be at work," answered Shion. "Why?"   
  
---   
  
Ami's Apartment, 10th Street District   
  
The disguised soldier of water squelched her   
disappointment as she gazed into the mirror, finding   
that the queen was away from the Inner Sanctum. She   
tapped certain locations on the mirror, inputting a   
recorded message.   
  
Placing the mirror steady on the night stand Ami   
stared into it. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry that I was   
unable to communicate this in person, but I have   
discovered that the Fenril Knights are planning on   
powering a Mekani void-ripper. They do not appear to   
have the energy to run it, which is why they are after   
the heart crystals. It appears they will be unable to   
work it for quite some time, therefore I believe it is   
safe to wait and see for now."   
  
"However, I am attempting to find a means to destroy   
the void-ripper without compromising my cover. It   
seems that the triumvirate leaders are suspicious of   
me, so I may be unable to do anything for now. This   
may be the last report you hear for a while if this is   
the case; I don't want to risk drawing more attention   
to myself than I have to."   
  
"Please leave the door open for me, and wish me   
luck."   
  
---   
  
Infirmary, Crystal Palace   
  
Ryoga Hibiki felt as if he woke from a terrible   
nightmare, for the second time this month.   
  
"I'm... I'm alive?" he stuttered, looking around the   
room occupied only by himself. He patted himself down,   
unsure what to think. "It's... it's NOT a dream! I'm   
alive!"   
  
"I remember now," he thought aloud. "The queen used   
her magic crystal on me...."   
  
He turned to the nearby sink and mirror, jumping out   
of bead and almost slipping on the polished crystal   
floor. Gently he turned on the faucet, allowing cold   
water to run. Cupping his hands Ryoga gathered the   
water, and splashed it on his face.   
  
Staring back into the mirror, he decided, "It's not   
a dream!"   
  
Quickly, he turned to the nearby showering hose, and   
flicked it on. Holding it over his head, Ryoga felt   
the cool stream of water soak him, and he did little to   
contain his excitement.   
  
"I'm free...!" he yelled. "I'm FREE OF THE PIG!!"   
  
Dropping the hose Ryoga danced and skipped about   
gleefully, throwing his arms out in victory. However,   
now that his feet were soaking wet he slipped on the   
floor, and was sent flying through the wall.   
  
Landing on his back, the pain of crashing into the   
next room did little to contain his excitement, and   
Ryoga resumed his victory dance.   
  
"Hey, shut up!" complained Shizuka, still lying in   
bed.   
  
Feeling his thunder stolen, Ryoga did a double take.   
"Sh... Shizuka?!"   
  
"They got you, too?" she snorted.   
  
"Doesn't it feel great?!" he cried, opening his   
greatest smile in years and pressing his face into   
the priestess's.   
  
"Egh, don't you ever brush your teeth after you   
eat?" Shizuka commented, pinching her nose and waving   
her other hand like a fan.   
  
"This Silver Crystal thing is wonderful!" he decided.   
"Akari was right, I DO feel better!"   
  
Pushing Ryoga's face away, Shizuka stared at the   
martial artist intently. "Eh? You actually switched   
sides?"   
  
"There's no side to switch!" he replied. "I don't   
feel depressed anymore; that's good. I don't have to   
deal with the pig anymore; that's good. And best of   
all, we can share all this with the others! Ranma can   
go back with Akane, and...."   
  
"Hold it, Skippy," she ordered. "I only let them   
stay long enough to fix my bleeding."   
  
At the news Ryoga stopped in his tracks.   
  
"I'm planning on healing the rest of it the old   
fashioned way, if I can," Shizuka continued. "And   
under no circumstances am I going to get myself   
'purified' by the light. After I recover I'm going   
back to Ayame; I'll just have to let her know you're a   
traitor, and then she'll come after you and kill you."   
  
"Y... you're not serious...."   
  
"How well do you know Ayame? I know her better, and   
even then, I don't know her enough. So MAYBE you'll   
get away scot free, and maybe you won't."   
  
Suddenly the weight of reality anchored Ryoga down.   
He had forgotten about Ayame Mishima, and the weapons   
she had under her power. "I'll take my chances. I'm   
going back to Akari, and you let Ayame know that."   
  
Shizuka shrugged. "Suit yourself." She rolled over   
onto her side. "You still have your prism?"   
  
Ryoga nodded, reaching into his pocket to produce it.   
"Not sure what I can do with it."   
  
"Let me see." Without a word Ryoga handed the   
prism to the priestess. "So when are you leaving?"   
she asked, holding up the prism to the light.   
  
"Oh, I don't know... I was thinking about leaving   
sometime this afternoon. If I hurry I can make it to   
Akari's by tonight."   
  
"Provided you remember how to get there."   
  
"I think I know where it is."   
  
"Really." She handed the prism back to Ryoga. "So   
anything you want me to tell the others when I get   
back to them?"   
  
"Yeah," Ryoga replied, accepting the prism back.   
"I need you to tell Ranma that I've found my answers.   
If he wants his, he ought to get himself purified by   
the crystal. Akane's probably missed him too long."   
  
"I see."   
  
Ryoga eyed the hole he made in the wall. "Well, I'd   
better start getting ready to go. Who knows how long   
it'll take to get there."   
  
"Unless, of course, you don't have that poor   
direction sense anymore," Shizuka pointed out.   
  
A flash bulb went on in Ryoga's head. "Hey, you   
might be right!"   
  
He stumbled back into the room whence he came,   
leaving Shizuka alone to her devices. Ryoga noted   
that the crystal was already beginning to grow over   
the hole he made; strange, but efficient, and makes a   
whole lot of sense, he thought.   
  
---   
  
Unknown to him, however, the crystal prism he carried   
was fractured. Shizuka held up Ryoga's perfect, intact   
crystal up to the light once more, satisfied that there   
were no imperfections on its surface.   
  
Good, she thought, this is one way to guarantee a   
quick escape, if necessary. There's no reason to   
summon the Dragonfly now. Now lets see if I can do   
some good work while I'm here.   
  
She tried to get up, but the pain shot up her spine   
once again. Shizuka only had herself to blame for   
declining to heal herself completely.   
  
"Then again, maybe not."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
The eyes of all three members of the triumvirate   
turned toward the door in surprise as Kodachi Kuno   
entered, commanding attention by mere presence. She   
stood confidently, and maintained her proud stance as   
her boots clomped against the metal stairs.   
  
She dressed entirely different from her usual formal   
kimono attire, favoring a much more looser training   
suit for kendoists. At her left side was a sheathed   
sword, one which Ayame knew belonged to her deceased   
brother.   
  
"Kodachi," the head of the triumvirate said, "are   
you okay?"   
  
"Oh, never better, Aya," Kodachi replied, her voice   
carrying the same confidence as she held herself. "I   
never felt more certain in my life."   
  
"You know, Kodachi," Kanna voiced, "maybe you should   
rest a bit longer. After all, your brother...."   
  
"My brother's sword is in the hands of the Sailor   
Senshi," she snapped. "It is my duty to bring that   
weapon back, for his sake."   
  
"Revenge?" Shion wondered.   
  
"Kodachi, please," Ayame said, "you were once my   
mentor, even my superior. For that, you have my   
friendship, and my respect, but I'm your superior now.   
I could order you to stay... heck, I could force you   
to stay if I wanted to." She nodded toward Shion.   
  
"But I'm not talking to you as your superior, but as   
a friend." She placed her arms on Kodachi's shoulders,   
and she made no move to remove them. Staring into her   
eyes, Ayame tried to convey her concern efficiently.   
"You can't go out looking for revenge. Your brother   
was way stronger than you; he always was, and the   
Sailor Senshi bat him aside like he was nothing. If   
you go now I might lose you. I've lost my uncle to   
them already; I wasn't fond of your brother too much,   
but I lost him, too. I don't want to lose any more   
people I care about."   
  
Kodachi fixated her gaze back intently. "Aya, here   
is how it works. My soul has become one with my dear   
brother. With our combined power we can defeat the one   
who slayed him mercilessly, the one they call Sailor   
Venus, their leader." She brushed off Ayame's arms   
and drew her sword, forcing her to take several steps   
back. "With this sword my brother inherited, and I   
in turn, I will recover his honor!"   
  
To the others' surprise she spun the sword almost   
effortlessly in a vertical circle several times, much   
like a flag, then took several practice swings, each   
with the precision of an expert. Raising it up high   
Kodachi brought the blade down quickly, and Ayame felt   
the rush of wind blast pass her, created by a vacuum   
strike only a master swordsman could pull off.   
  
Ayame froze in place, speechless.   
  
"Ayame?!" Kanna shouted. "What's wrong?"   
  
"Damn, did you see that?" Shion gasped.   
  
"It's him," Ayame realized.   
  
Quickly sheathing the sword, Kodachi folded her arms   
intently. "Are you satisfied?"   
  
She nodded. "Kodachi... I'm sorry I doubted you....   
Perhaps you can beat them, after all. But that's   
neither here nor there." Ayame placed an arm around   
her friend and motioned toward the main viewscreen.   
"You see, we've already got the next operation planned   
out, and maybe we could use your help after all."   
  
"I care not of your deeds and misdeeds," Kodachi   
said in clarification. "My only drive is to avenge my   
brother."   
  
"Well, the more you understand what's going on, the   
better," Ayame pointed out. "Most of all, we need to   
work as a team. You taught me that, and we're going to   
stick with it."   
  
"This is not a petty rhythmic gymnastics competition,   
little Aya."   
  
"I can't believe Ayame's letting her belittle her   
like that," Shion muttered, shaking his head.   
  
"It runs deep with friends, four-eyes," Kanna   
replied.   
  
"The event may be different, but the situation is the   
same," Ayame countered. "Each one of us must succeed   
at each target point. Everybody needs to complete the   
goal to ensure our chances of success. Failure is not   
an option, and it never was. We have a deadline to   
fill, so all the mission points must be completed by   
midnight."   
  
Unlatching herself from Kodachi Ayame turned toward   
Shion. "Is everybody accounted for?"   
  
The mercenary nodded. "Almost. Higure is still out   
doing his usual thing. Sypha and Cinder have already   
left for Nemesis, so we can't count on them for a   
while. Shizuka's still being held, and we don't know   
when she'll come back. We gained Ukyo, but lost Ryoga.   
I tried bringing him back via the switchboard earlier,   
but something's blocking the prism's signal."   
  
"Likely the emanation from the Crystal Palace,"   
Kanna offered. "It's power is greatest there, so it's   
likely to blot out anything counter to its own energy.   
This won't matter to Shizuka much since her crystal is   
fractured."   
  
"Interesting," Ayame considered. "So if any of us   
gets into the palace we can't use the prisms to   
escape?"   
  
"It'll likely start working again if you leave the   
premises, or maybe it extends a little beyond the   
gates," the Crystal Spider conjectured.   
  
On the main viewscreen the chief engineer, Taydome,   
appeared. "Sir, we've completed adjustments on the   
energy funnel, and are waiting to finish our prelim   
tests. However, we can't guarantee the funnel will   
actually work...."   
  
Ayame nodded. "Then we're just going to have to go   
at it based on the simulations alone; there's no way   
to field test it, so we're going to have to trust that   
it'll work as advertised."   
  
Nodding, the image faded out.   
  
"Gather our people," Ayame instructed. "We need them   
ready by tonight, so the sooner we brief them, the   
sooner they get ready, and the sooner we finish the   
mission."   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Upon her entrance into what seemed to be the most   
popular of the compound's rooms, Ami was disappointed   
to see that it was very empty. Considering it was   
after the dinner hour the room was usually full with   
those Fenril who needed to kill time; now, however,   
where seven or eight might occupy it at the same time   
there was only one.   
  
The old man, Higure Furui, sat alone at one of the   
tables, deeply into a game of Solitare. While Ami did   
see him on occasion at the school, the observer often   
set aside time for idle chat anymore, as he was   
constantly watching for people, much as he watched over   
her before inviting her to the compound. So far he   
had not approached anybody as far as Ami knew.   
  
"Mr. Furui," Ami greeted.   
  
Looking up from his game, the old man smiled. "Why   
hello, Ms. Mizuno." He waved toward the seat to his   
right. "Make yourself welcome."   
  
Nodding, she pulled aside the chair and seated   
herself quietly. "Is there something wrong? I don't   
see anyone here, and usually everybody's here."   
  
"They are planning a complex operation once more,"   
Higure informed her. "The advisor, Kanna, has proven   
that her idle time was not for waste; her previous   
operation was a complete success."   
  
Ami nodded, unsure as to the reason yesterday's   
attacks-- most all ending in failure-- could be seen as   
a victory. "I haven't seen Kanna lately... I wanted to   
tell her that the flowers got delivered."   
  
"Flowers?"   
  
"She asked me to send flowers to her friends that got   
caught in an explosion a couple weeks ago," she   
explained. "I just wanted to let her know, that's   
all."   
  
"I see." Higure nodded. "Then earning her respect   
is one of your occupations. A wise choice indeed; the   
one known as the Crystal Spider would make a valuable   
ally."   
  
"What do you mean?" Ami asked, puzzled.   
  
He shook his head. "It is nothing. Some of our   
number are becoming restless, and some even question   
the leader, Ayame, and her competence. To them it   
appears that all she can do is direct, but it takes   
great skill to direct a production such as this."   
  
"So someone's trying to undermine her position?" A   
possible internal conflict could be advantageous.   
  
"The most vocal would be Pantyhose Taro, Shampoo, and   
Sypha, all of which are too proud to remain on such a   
short leash. The problem with Sypha has been dealt   
with for now; however, Pantyhose Taro and Shampoo   
cannot be dismissed as easily. It is a known fact that   
Pantyhose Taro could not gather support around himself,   
and his treachery is known. Shampoo, on the other   
hand, could raise support for her own position if she   
so chooses."   
  
Pantyhose Taro again, Ami thought. The one known as   
Sypha was unknown to her, but Shampoo, she knew, was   
one of the warriors Sailor Venus fought at the   
beginning of the conflict-- the one who appeared to   
complement Mousse's abilities. Since that was the case   
perhaps it would do well to bolster Shampoo's position   
in the ring.   
  
On the other hand, Ami had no idea what Kanna's   
standing was with Ayame or Shampoo. The Crystal   
Spider fancied herself a master tactician, that much   
she knew, and it was likely for good reason. If this   
plan would go through, it would be important to know   
where Kanna's loyalties lay.   
  
---   
  
Northwest Hydroelectric Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Ranma had to hand it to Kanna; when she wanted things   
done her way, she made it so.   
  
The hydroelectric plant was nothing more than a   
glorified dam, set up since Neo Queen Serenity rose to   
power, in order to save the planet's resources. As a   
bonus it provided a wonderful water recreational area   
for anyone who liked boating in calm waters.   
  
Water, he thought. Cold water. If only there was a   
nuclear plant, I would've taken that one gladly.   
  
Yet, there was no such thing as nuclear power plants   
anymore, as they were deemed too hazardous for the   
environment, and the planet as well.   
  
The northwest plant was but one of three primary   
power stations that fed electricity into Crystal Tokyo   
and its neighbors; much power was needed in order to   
compensate for the lack of nuclear power. The other   
two, the wind-powered northern plant and the new,   
experimental magic engine western plant, were in the   
capable hands of the others.   
  
Of all the people Ranma had to be partnered with, he   
wished it hadn't been Kodachi Kuno.   
  
She glanced over the catwalk railing, standing beside   
Ranma, and stared down into the deserted plant.   
Laughing quite loudly, Kodachi said, "The forced   
evacuation of the entire employee segment! If this   
were not the means by which to summon the guardians of   
Crystal Tokyo...."   
  
The martial artist shook his head. It certainly beat   
being partnered with Pantyhose Taro.   
  
He held up the object he had been carrying the entire   
trip, a cone-shaped steel object with no apparent   
orifices. According to Kanna they need only be set in   
the vicinity of the primary power engine; the energy   
funnel set up elsewhere would draw the power through it   
as a remote beacon. Ranma had no idea where the   
funnel was being set up, but it was not his problem.   
  
"Let's get this over with," he decided.   
  
---   
  
North Wind Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
"Everything the wind fans collect in terms of power   
from this artificially-breezy area," Mousse explained   
to Shampoo, "is collected in a central generator,   
which in turn pumps the power to the city." He held   
up the cone beacon. "All we need to do is place this   
there and we're through."   
  
Shampoo nodded. Even though she knew all this   
information thanks to Kanna's briefing, she could not   
help but stare in wonderment at the rows of collector   
fans set on the high mountains. Thanks to the magic of   
climate control, in this localized area the wind was   
constantly blowing, providing constant power that   
rivaled that of the hydroelectric plant.   
  
Both Chinese martial artists dashed through the rows   
of fan towers toward the central structure which   
housed the plant's main generator. Against the force   
of wind most people could not bear to keep on their   
feet, but intense training paid off.   
  
---   
  
Western Magic Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
The newest of the three plants supplying power to   
Crystal Tokyo the western plant housed the experimental   
magic engine, a structure the size of the mainframes of   
old and housed in a building no larger than a large   
warehouse. This new engine, a combination of magic and   
technology, draws upon the ethereal weave that   
permeated throughout the world, and was virtually   
unlimited in source.   
  
Miranda suspected the designers had little idea   
where they were drawing the power from, but paid it no   
mind as she tossed the cone beacon toward the engine,   
allowing its bottom surface to stick to the side   
without a hitch.   
  
She glanced to her partner, Pantyhose Taro. "Well,   
that's that. All we need to do now is wait."   
  
"I doubt it," the older martial artist replied. "I   
bet you ten to one that the Sailor Senshi are going to   
come the moment we start pumping energy to the funnel."   
  
Nodding silently, Miranda knew Taro's words to be   
true, even if she hardly liked the creep. When it came   
down to it Kanna wanted the six best available warriors   
to look after the plants, and Taro happened to be one   
of them. When nobody else wished to go with him it   
left Miranda to that honor when Mousse and Shampoo   
stuck together, and Ranma and Kodachi paired up, even   
though the martial artist knew that none of them liked   
each other enough to pick favorites like that.   
  
They just didn't want to get stuck with Taro, like   
she did.   
  
As for the funnel, Kanna told them that it was up to   
Ukyo and Hokuto to look after it; Ukyo was upset that   
she was considered weak, and Hokuto wondered why she   
should bother, believing her esper powers were no   
substitute for fighting ability. The Crystal Spider   
suspected that the Sailor Senshi would rather look   
toward the power plants, and therefore the funnel would   
not be smothered in any way. To be on the safe side,   
however, the funnel was set up away from the Mishima   
high-rise.   
  
However, since the funnel was more important than   
the beacons, the warehouse was also equipped with a   
sizable number of Mishima robots. Miranda wished Kanna   
hadn't wasted the initial batch of droids on the   
previous day, as she wished some were still around to   
help outnumber the Sailor Senshi when they came.   
  
Shrugging, she muttered to herself, "Sometimes you   
just can't get things to go your way."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Kanna, a moment of your time?" Ayame purred, walking   
to her seat.   
  
"What?" she asked.   
  
"About Taro... I hope you know what you're doing,"   
the leader said, a hint of worry in her tone.   
  
Kanna smiled. "Oh, worried that he'll usurp your   
position. Don't worry, I think it's safer to have him   
actually doing something than doing nothing. It's   
when the cunning are quiet when you should worry."   
  
Ayame couldn't help but smile. "Always one step   
ahead of me, eh?"   
  
"Well, the trick is to be one step ahead of everybody   
else, particularly the ones you don't trust," the   
Crystal Spider corrected. "Right now we need to   
maintain the illusion that we don't know what he's   
been doing behind our backs."   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
"I felt the negative energy again," Mars informed   
Queen Serenity. "They're much larger than the ones we   
detected yesterday. In fact, our computers aren't even   
picking them up."   
  
The queen nodded in understanding. "With each   
passing day it appears our enemies are becoming more   
ept in their attacks. Nevertheless, they will be   
expecting us this time. Where are they?"   
  
"There's three of them," the soldier of fire   
replied. "Each of them are coming from the three main   
power plants that pump electricity into the city. They   
may be trying to cut all power to the city."   
  
"Then I leave it up to you, Jupiter, and Venus to   
guard these facilities."   
  
Mars bowed, then exited quickly. Neo Queen Serenity   
shook her head sadly, knowing that, despite the stress   
and fatigue of watching over the city almost twenty-   
four hours a day, the Sailor Senshi would not let down   
their guard, not while the Fenril Knights were still   
at large.   
  
It was a fault in the city's protection, she knew,   
that the seventeen Fenril Knights could have easily   
overwhelmed the senshi by numbers alone. However, it   
is the reason they did not do so already was what   
interested Serenity even more.   
  
In fact that was the sole reason she allowed Sailor   
Mercury to proceed with her idea in the first place;   
the Fenril Knights did not appear to follow toward any   
certain goal. While now they had a good idea what   
they were after what was still unknown was the ends of   
their means. They were likely to be severely   
disappointed when they found out about the state of the   
Kami Plane, but Serenity knew it would not stop there,   
not by a long shot.   
  
She glanced into a nearby mirror. Only one more   
night before her 'meeting' with Death Phantom; she knew   
it would be a trap, but if there was any way to get to   
the bottom of things it was getting that information   
from the head himself.   
  
The queen thought back to her ultimate encounter with   
Chaos in the Cauldron. It was there she learned that   
the Children of Chaos were attracted to the light; in   
this case, the Silver Crystal, and the world it   
protected. They were born of darkness; the light was   
something they could never have, never touch, never   
experience. That same situation worked in reverse as   
well; Serenity could never feel the darkness, but was   
attracted to it nonetheless.   
  
Darkness and light were the two opposing forces that   
defined one another, and for a moment Queen Serenity   
wondered if her dream that was born from Earth's great   
utopia was simply that.   
  
"As long as the Silver Crystal shines," she said to   
herself, "so shall there be the darkness to oppose it."   
  
---   
  
Nanjo Heavy Industries, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Perhaps it was a touch of irony on Kanna's part, but   
the fact remained that the energy funnel, a large   
machine that vaguely resembled an actual funnel on its   
back, was set up and ready to go on top of the high-   
rise office building belonging to one of Mishima Heavy   
Industries' former rivals.   
  
Placed across the industrial area of Crystal Tokyo   
the office building was no different than that of the   
Mishima office-- completely deserted. Since the three   
big heavy industries conspired to create the base which   
Ayame Mishima used to her will it was no surprise that   
this company, too, was without an apparent owner, and   
therefore the structures could not be auctioned off   
as easily. In fact, the former CEOs of the three rival   
companies had enough foresight to tie up their holdings   
in the banks for years to come.   
  
Ukyo sat with her back against the funnel, holding   
her combat spatula tucked in her folded arms, allowing   
the head to lean off to the side. She watched Hokuto   
Takemasa, the reclusive esper, stand and stare up at   
the stars above longingly, her traveling cloak blowing   
in the wind.   
  
"Do you really think they'll come?" the esper asked.   
  
"Feh, I doubt it," Ukyo snorted. "The trick is we're   
not going to be obvious until the funnel starts sending   
the juice to Nemesis."   
  
"I was just thinking..." Hokuto said. "I've not had   
much chance to see what Crystal Tokyo... and the rest   
of Earth... was like. I would have loved to travel to   
the places I visited before, but it's just not the same   
doing it with this prism than with the shadow stream."   
  
"You're that anxious to enter the shadow stream?"   
wondered the chef. "You sure you aren't addicted to   
that power of yours?"   
  
Ukyo knew well enough the answer, however. It was a   
no-brainer to know that Hokuto was not called a Shadow   
Weaver for nothing. Being an esper was only a part of   
her heritage; the other half was the manipulation of   
the shadow stream that existed in the void between   
planes. She remembered well enough what Hokuto could   
do with that shadow, and it made her extremely   
powerful indeed.   
  
Yet, while she retained her psychic powers Hokuto   
almost never used them by themselves while growing up,   
and therefore was severely hurt now that planar access   
was completely shut to Earth. Ukyo was still wary,   
however, keeping her mental guard up in case Hokuto   
got the idea to probe her mind.   
  
Not that it was the least of her dangerous esper   
powers.   
  
"It could be our fates that we fight this battle,"   
Hokuto continued. "Perhaps we are destined to battle   
with those who fight in the light, and we are destined   
to stand in the shadow of that light. If death is what   
awaits us, then I accept."   
  
"Don't mind me, but I prefer to live while I can, if   
I were you," Ukyo said, shrugging.   
  
Money, greed, profit... they were considered   
undesirable traits in a merchant of Crystal Tokyo. It   
was against the okonomiyaki chef's nature to look at   
her business any other way; preparing the best food   
she could offer was only part of the joy she got out of   
running the restaurant. It was a surprise to her that   
money still existed in a utopian society, but it was   
good nonetheless. The problem was, however, profit was   
a non-issue; Ukyo was the odd-girl out in the business   
district for thinking in terms of money.   
  
It was too unnatural, but she thought she could be   
content with her own success.   
  
Contention, however, would not come. Starting with   
Akane's brief visits to her restaurant Ukyo felt an   
undercurrent of doubt that living the rest of her life   
as a restaurant chef was her path, especially when she   
knew many others who were putting themselves in the way   
of danger. Their reasoning was sound on a basic level,   
as the world changed too much overnight to bear. And   
yet, Crystal Tokyo was a nice place to live in.   
  
On the other hand, it was terribly boring. She   
thought back to the old days, when she first arrived in   
Tokyo, where Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, and the rest added   
a certain lively element to her life. Each one of them   
made her days special, and there was never a dull   
moment to complain of. It was the best time to be   
alive, she realized.   
  
She grew up with them to adulthood, never a dull   
moment... until the world changed overnight.   
  
Fundamentally, Ukyo, too, was dissatisfied with the   
state of the world.   
  
Kuno died fighting for what he believed in, and while   
Ukyo was never particularly fond of the swordsman for   
all his bumbling charm, she vowed to ensure that his   
sacrifice would not be in vain. Something will come   
out of the uprising against Neo Queen Serenity's rule,   
she knew, but that outcome would depend on the efforts   
of a small handful of people willing to sacrifice their   
lives for billions.   
  
No, Ukyo decided, this has nothing to do with what I   
want.   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis   
  
"They are coming," Wiseman informed the two standing   
before him, the robed Cinder, and the sorcerer Sypha.   
"Intercept them, and dispose as you will. They must   
not be allowed to reach Earth."   
  
Both nodded in understanding, and in a bright flash   
of light they transformed into ethereal fireballs, and   
rocketed upward through the ceiling to meet their   
enemies, Uranus and Neptune, on their own terms.   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Stay tuned for more. Action will be delivered in the   
next chapter for those of you wondering at the lack of   
action in this part; it is particularly due to the fact   
that much needs to happen before the battle actually   
began.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	5. Metal Flame

Souls of Fire #5: Metal Flame   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Northwest Hydroelectric Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Sailor Jupiter had no idea what to expect when she   
walked into the plant. The first step she made through   
the door several floodlights blinded her eyes, each   
light coming from multiple directions and above.   
  
"Pity," a female voice said, her voice echoing over   
speakers. "I was hoping for a chance to meet your   
esteemed leader, Sailor Venus."   
  
Shielding her eyes to the light, Jupiter shouted,   
"Where are you?! Show yourself!"   
  
"Perhaps you should find something of interest at the   
main engine room," the voice offered. "Be my guest; it   
appears I will turn my attentions elsewhere while you   
thwart us."   
  
At the same moment the floodlights shut off, and   
despite the fact the Fenril was implying that she   
would not attack, Jupiter knew it was a trap.   
Nevertheless, after taking a few moments for her eyes   
to adjust back to the relative darkness of the plant,   
she continued on steadily.   
  
No more interruptions marred her trek to the main   
engine, where the electrical energy generated by the   
turbines was channeled into the cables that carried   
power to the city. Against its side there was a small   
metallic cone stuck to it, and a light on its pointed   
end blinked like a beacon.   
  
"Well," she decided, "nothing else but to smash it."   
She raised a fist, and thrust.   
  
Only to have it caught by another's hand. "Geez,   
who woulda thought you girls fought with fists?"   
  
"I knew it was too good to be true," she muttered,   
bracing herself for the inevitable follow-up attack to   
the counter shot.   
  
"I'm Ranma," the martial artist introduced   
nonchalantly. "We've got some serious talking to do."   
  
"Really," Jupiter replied, her mind racing for a   
counter of her own. "Like what?"   
  
"Like what we're going to do about this lousy society   
of yours," answered Ranma. "Like how you're leaving   
yourself so open to attack it's not even funny. How do   
you expect to beat anyone, much less us, if the only   
people that defend it are four people?"   
  
After mentioning this, Ranma paused, his expression   
showing shock. "Wait a minute, there's four of you,   
and...."   
  
Before Jupiter would allow him to come up with the   
answer she grabbed the Fenril's arm, and, throwing all   
her weight back, hurled him off his feet and over her.   
  
---   
  
Northern Wind Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Sailor Mars fought against both the high wind and the   
projectiles of the attacking Mousse, who, with great   
acrobatic precision despite the weather, bounced off   
each fan tower easily, making himself a terrible target   
to aim for.   
  
Forced totally on the defensive Mars wished the queen   
would simply change the weather control system around   
the windmill plant to suit her style better. However,   
the plant must stay up and running for the city, and   
such the handicap must be taken. The Fenril, Mousse,   
on the other hand, seemed to take such a 'handicap'   
with ease, as if it never hindered him one bit.   
  
She threw a Fire Soul at the incoming knives, each   
melting quickly into nothingness and scattering to the   
winds long before reaching Mars.   
  
"This isn't getting us anywhere," she realized.   
"They're trying to stall me and keep me from the plant   
itself... but why?"   
  
---   
  
Western Magic Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
"No enemies," Venus said to herself aloud as she   
walked into the engine room. She spied the conical   
beacon attached to the side, blinking periodically at   
regular intervals. "Nothing left but to get rid of   
that thing, whatever it is."   
  
"Stop right there!"   
  
Venus's attention was torn away from the Fenril   
device, focusing on a silhouette standing against one   
of the windows on the upper catwalk. She could make   
out the outline of a woman figure, with plenty of hair   
reaching down well below her waist.   
  
"Stealing the hearts of man, woman, and child!" she   
accused, in a tone reminiscent of Sailor Moon's old   
speeches. "Transforming this Earth into a shadow of   
its former glory... it's unforgivable!!"   
  
"What the...?!"   
  
"Well, I stand for love and justice!" the Fenril   
shouted, mimicking familiar hand gestures. "I'm   
Sailor Miranda! And in the name of the Earth, I'll   
punish you."   
  
Taking no appreciation of the parody shot Venus's   
eyes followed the Fenril's leap over the catwalk, and   
saw that she was going for a drop kick. She threw   
herself to the right, feeling the wind scrape against   
her hair as she tumbled.   
  
"Boy, you girls suck in the spiel department,"   
Miranda said contemptuously, landing on her feet. "And   
for the next item up on our bid...!" She cocked one   
arm back, spreading fingers outward, and a glowing disc   
of energy began to form.   
  
Venus scrambled back on her hands and feet as   
sawblade-like energy discs flew from the Fenril's   
hand, each making a sizable tear in the floor where the   
senshi used to be.   
  
"Geez, Rubber-bitch!" someone shouted. "Catfight   
already! Show me how woman you are!"   
  
"Shut up, Pantyhose Bastard!" Miranda cried back to   
the unseen Fenril. "Who's side are you on, anyway?!"   
  
"Stop calling me that!" Taro demanded angrily.   
  
Taking the momentary distraction to get back to her   
feet Venus raised her index finger and pointed it   
toward the attacking Fenril, throwing off a Crescent   
Beam.   
  
However, Miranda appeared to be paying more attention   
to her enemy than her unseen ally, throwing another   
energy discus and shredding the beam into nothingness.   
The discus continued on its path, forcing Venus to duck   
an allow it to pass overhead.   
  
"Buzz off!" the Fenril girl shouted. "I'll take care   
of you!!"   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Ah, look," Higure told Ami, nudging his head in the   
direction of the television set. "It appears we made   
the evening news."   
  
Curiosity piqued, Ami got up from her seat, leaving   
Higure to his Solitaire, and turned up the volume.   
Sure enough, it was the evening news, and the story was   
indeed on the Fenril Knights.   
  
"Word has been released by the palace this morning   
that confirms that a terrorist group calling themselves   
the Fenril Knights are responsible for the recent   
chaos occurring in the world."   
  
"Humph, listen to her," Higure snorted, holding no   
respect for the anchorwoman. "She behaves as if we   
chose this way of life, much less chose that name.   
They use it often enough and it sticks."   
  
"The Fenril Knights have taken blame for the bombing   
in Iwata two weeks ago, and for yesterday's subway   
collapse. The Iwata bombing resulted in a couple put   
in the hospital with critical burns and a destroyed   
home, both patients are recovering swiftly but have   
declined to comment."   
  
"And with good reason," the old man chipped in, his   
card game forgotten.   
  
"However, we have learned recently that one of the   
Fenril Knights is being held in captivity tonight after   
the destruction of the 10th Street subway station. A   
name or identity has not been released at this time,   
but we have...."   
  
"They captured one of you?" Ami said, surprised.   
  
Higure nodded.   
  
The telecast changed to another reporter standing   
outside the Crystal Palace. "We have learned that the   
Fenril Knight is being held in the royal palace itself.   
While we have not learned the identity of the terrorist   
in question already people have lined up by the walls   
demanding justice."   
  
The camera panned away from the reporter to   
punctuate on the reporter's point. Ami's jaw dropped   
in surprise, watching an actual group of protestors   
marching around the front gate, chanting and holding   
signs demanding the 'terrorist' be given swift justice.   
To her eyes and ears the disguised senshi she saw only   
a bloodthirsty mob, crying for vengeance; while that   
was supposed to be impossible in this society it was   
what she was seeing.   
  
"We can't let these people run amok and ruin our   
world like this!" one interviewed protestor told the   
reporter. "We had to put up with the Black Moon when   
they kicked us around, but they never got the justice   
they deserved!"   
  
Higure only shook his head in disgust.   
  
"However, opinions are divided on a smaller camp,"   
the reporter continued, and the camera switched to a   
second quick interview.   
  
"The way these people demand 'justice,'" the woman   
said, holding the last word in contempt, "is like they   
want someone to blame for all their problems. They   
couldn't do it to us, they shouldn't be doing it to   
them."   
  
"Former Black Moon warrior," Ami realized.   
  
"Is that so?" the old man asked, his interest perked.   
  
She nodded. "After the war was over Neo Queen   
Serenity accepted the rest of the Black Moon Family   
with open arms, and each voluntarily reintegrated   
themselves back into society, since all their leaders   
were dead and defeated. They lost the will to war over   
their home. But the people they attacked... they never   
forgave them. No matter how much a part of society   
they are on the surface, they're treated like second-   
class citizens."   
  
"I see." Higure stroked his beard thoughtfully.   
"Such as it in civil war that one cannot trust the   
other side even after they are broken."   
  
"I don't understand it," Ami admitted. "The war was   
draining for both sides, and it was in everybody's   
best interests that the Black Moon Family be accepted   
without condition."   
  
"The people need a scapegoat," Higure offered. "It   
is in human nature to want a reason to feel better   
after being wronged. In this case, Shizuka is in deep   
trouble because the pent-up frustrations over your   
Black Moon general pardon have not left the minds of   
the people. The queen is wise to keep her within the   
palace."   
  
She nodded, understanding that Neo Queen Serenity   
knew what she was doing when she decided to release   
information on the Fenril Knights. It was a terrible   
risk, but one that had to be done if the war would   
continue. Keeping Shizuka in the palace was more a   
practical than a political maneuver.   
  
Even though the hearts of the people have changed,   
there was nothing to do about basic human nature. If   
only some of the more closed-minded Fenril understood   
that, talks could have ended the war long before it   
started.   
  
For a moment Ami wondered how closed-minded Ayame   
Mishima was; it was obvious that the Fenril looked   
toward her for leadership collectively, even if one or   
two objected to her personally. She is the major key   
in the puzzle.   
  
She allowed the news report to absorb her attention   
once again, and the peaceful protesters still looked   
like a bloodthirsty mob to Ami's eyes.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"All beacons are in place," Kanna reported. "All we   
have to do now is power-up the funnel."   
  
"Three of the Sailor Senshi are confirmed to   
attacking our groups, but so far none have gotten   
through," Shion added. "Ayame, if we're going to do   
it, we have to do it NOW."   
  
Ayame folded her arms, tapping her arm with her   
fingers expectantly. "Think about it, Shion... there   
is supposed to be... how many Sailor Senshi?"   
  
There was cause to worry, she knew, because the   
triumvirate overheard everything their groups said   
using the remote control watchers. And Ranma Saotome,   
for all his honor bluster, brought up a rather   
interesting point, one which even Kanna hadn't   
considered. It left the funnel open to a really nasty   
attack if the last senshi showed up, and that was   
something Ayame refused to accept as a possibility.   
  
"A grand total of seven, I think," the mercenary   
answered. He raised up both hands and counted down   
with his fingers. "Supposedly, one of them is dead for   
sure; she died in the last war. Two are beyond the   
solar system doing who-knows what. There are supposed   
to be four guarding Crystal Tokyo at all times." He   
closed his remaining hand to a fist, nodding in   
understanding.   
  
"But there should be one for each planet, shouldn't   
there?" wondered the Crystal Spider. "The pattern   
fits with a couple skips, after all."   
  
"So where's the last one?" the leader wondered. "I   
never seen hide nor hair of the fourth senshi... Sailor   
Mercury, as I believe she's called."   
  
"She's supposed to be their smartest girl," Kanna   
offered. "Usually she's advising the queen, from what   
I gather." She shook her head. "Not only that... but   
if she's as smart as they say she is, there's a   
possibility of a counter-strategy at work. I agree   
with Shion; you have to turn the funnel on now."   
  
"Prepare more CRONOS units at the funnel, if   
necessary. I'm not taking any more chances. Activate   
the funnel now."   
  
---   
  
Nanjo Heavy Industries, Crystal Tokyo   
  
"What do you mean, 'we're turning the funnel on?'"   
Ukyo complained, standing up from leaning against the   
side of the energy funnel. "I thought we were going to   
wait for the beacons to warm up first!"   
  
"They've warmed up enough!" Ayame hissed, her voice   
screeching through the radio in the chef's hand. "My   
trigger finger's itchy, so I suggest you back off a few   
more feet."   
  
"But I...!"   
  
"No time!" Hokuto yelled, yanking Ukyo back and away   
from the funnel, just as energy welled out of the top   
of the funnel like a volcano.   
  
---   
  
North Wind Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Shampoo blinked in surprise when the beacon started   
to glow.   
  
"What's going on?!" she yelled in surprise, just as   
lightning lanced straight into the air.   
  
---   
  
Nanjo Heavy Industries, Crystal Tokyo   
  
A beam of energy lanced out from three different   
directions, traveling through the air in a distinct   
arc pattern, emerging from the beacon and plunging   
directly into the top of the funnel. Ukyo and Hokuto   
shielded their eyes as the three pumped power sources   
combined into the massive engine.   
  
The brightness illuminated the night sky even further   
when the combined energy lanced out into the stars   
above at an accelerated pace, traveling faster than   
the eye can see.   
  
Faster than light, toward the planet of darkness that   
absorbs such waveforms, Nemesis.   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis   
  
Wiseman's eyes twinkled in delight when the energy   
burst cascaded around the Black Crystal, suspended in   
the air by its own sheer force. He watched it as the   
jagged edges grew larger, increasing the crystal's   
surface area many times beyond it's golfball size in   
mere seconds.   
  
"Yes," he whispered triumphantly. "Yes!! The Black   
Crystal grows with this crude energy! Marvel at its   
omnipotent power!"   
  
---   
  
Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Neo Queen Serenity gazed toward the stars, realizing   
the intention of the Fenril Knights after long last.   
  
They were going to power the Black Crystal. She   
felt it in her bones.   
  
"Please," she pleaded to the stars, "no more wars.   
The Earth tires of the endless fighting... must we keep   
fighting more?"   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
The answer, Ami knew, was 'yes.'   
  
"Magnificent," Higure praised, his eyes sparkling at   
the sight of the live-broadcast of the funnel on the   
evening news. "Simply magnificent!"   
  
"What is that?!" Ami wanted to know.   
  
"Hopefully," the old man replied, "the key to our   
future."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Old man," Ayame whispered, watching the funnel do   
its work while the power to the city faded drastically   
around the Nanjo building, "you'd better be keeping   
your promise."   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis   
  
"That I shall, Ayame Mishima," Wiseman said, having   
heard the comment made by the Fenril leader through his   
own scrying crystal ball. "As a reward to the   
ingenuity of your team, you shall have that, and more."   
  
He began to complete the ritualistic rites that would   
bind the spell together, and channeled it to the Black   
Crystal.   
  
---   
  
Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo   
  
The queen's eyes noticed a new energy surge coming   
from space, this one a deep violet or black; she was   
unsure of which. It stopped in a fixed location in the   
sky, and spread outward and downward at an arc, forming   
a huge, black dome of power in the blink of an eye.   
  
Neo Queen Serenity turned her attention toward the   
people down below, gathered around the wall, staring   
up at the sky in horror. Each knew of the fate that   
was coming to them, and it hardly stopped those who   
tried to run for cover.   
  
It was the Black Moon invasion all over again.   
  
Human shapes melted into nothingness, bathed in   
violet energy and melting into the streets. The queen   
did not feel their life forces being snuffed out; no,   
it was simply the abduction of it. Abduction of body   
and soul off the face of the Earth, even.   
  
She stared back up toward the sky, satisfied that the   
emergency dome of power erected itself in time to   
protect the palace and its inhabitants. The ruler of   
the Earth could not tell if the others were being   
abducted as well.   
  
Suddenly, Queen Serenity realized that the Fenril   
Knights figured out the secret; it was far too late to   
stop them from opening the Kami Plane now.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Pure genius," Kanna declared, watching as the   
unprotected population of Crystal Tokyo disappear from   
the surface of Earth, and reappear on the surface of   
Nemesis. "Everything happened as I predicted."   
  
"What?" Shion shouted. "You WANTED to send everybody   
to Darkhold? Why?! You sent my sister there!!"   
  
"She'll be fine," Ayame insisted. "I wouldn't have   
approved of the plan had it been any other way."   
  
The mercenary stared at the leader incredulously.   
"What good is this going to do?! We're just going to   
make the rest of the world upset at us!!"   
  
"You're thinking rather short-term in a long-term   
sense," Ayame pointed out. "All we need are our allies   
on the Kami Plane and we won't have to worry about   
anything at all."   
  
"Shion, let me put it this way," Kanna offered.   
"When you extract a heart crystal from someone, and   
keep it from them for longer than a half-hour, they   
die. It's effectively sucking the soul out of a   
person. Pantyhose Taro was perfectly willing to do   
this for us, but I'm not sure the others could do it if   
they knew that fact. So we abduct more people, and   
extract a little energy off a lot of people."   
  
"And thus not put anyone at risk of dying," Ayame   
added. "People can replenish their energy easily   
enough if we take only a fraction of it. And besides   
that, there's a bonus to it all."   
  
"All the inhabitants of Earth purified by the Silver   
Crystal possess a strong pure heart," the Crystal   
Spider finished.   
  
Shion blinked. "Y... you mean the Deathbuster   
program was a piece of junk?! We spent all this time   
on that thing for nothing?!"   
  
"No, not for nothing at all. You see, after I   
updated its database it showed me that conclusion. And   
now we have a really strong power base sitting in   
Darkhold, waiting to be tapped."   
  
The main viewscreen displayed the angry face of Ukyo   
Kuonji, the energy funnel in the background, still   
pumping energy into the atmosphere. "What the hell do   
you guys think you're doing?!"   
  
"Cool," Kanna whispered. "She actually caught a   
watcher."   
  
"Ukyo, we're shutting off the funnel, but don't   
leave it," Ayame ordered. "We still need it. A group   
of CRONOSes will remove the funnel now."   
  
"What about the others?!" the chef demanded. "What   
did you guys...?!"   
  
"We'll be looking forward to explaining this all to   
you as soon as everybody comes back," Ayame insisted.   
"Take care."   
  
---   
  
Northwest Hydroelectric Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Both of Ranma's fists were caught by each of   
Jupiter's hands, and each warrior pushed their weight   
into each other in a deadly hold. He had barely the   
time to notice the beacon shut itself off, now that he   
was thoroughly engrossed in battle.   
  
"You're strong, for a girl!" Ranma hissed.   
  
"Good think you aren't such a pushover!" Jupiter shot   
back. "Now go ahead and give in!"   
  
"Answer the question!" the martial artist insisted.   
"You can't answer something as simple as that?!"   
  
"It's nothing you should concern yourself about!"   
the senshi insisted. "Why don't you guys just go home   
and be happy with your lives? We're sacrificing ours   
for you guys, and this is how you repay us?"   
  
"Feh," Ranma snorted, "when I want someone to feed   
me like a baby, I'll ask for it! Better yet, I'll   
scoff at it, then ignore you."   
  
A sudden surge of energy rushed through Jupiter, and   
Ranma felt fear the moment he felt it. His feet gave   
way and he was forced backward by Jupiter, and Ranma   
felt the hard wall against his back. Unwilling to give   
in so easily he dropped down to his knees quickly,   
throwing Jupiter off balance and getting her head to   
crash into the wall.   
  
Now that his fists were free Ranma slipped away from   
the wall just as Jupiter recovered, wishing for a   
second he was fighting Ryoga instead. This Sailor   
Senshi was completely aggressive, to be sure, but was   
by no means on a level to compare with himself.   
  
"Freaky," he said. "If I didn't know any better I'd   
say you girls aren't fit to protect me."   
  
"Martial arts isn't the only skill available to me,"   
she hissed, raising her arms. Her fingers crackled   
with arcs of electricity. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"   
  
Ranma somersaulted backward and high over the   
lightning attack as it ripped by, his hands in his   
pockets, as if bored. "Wow, you can do that?"   
  
"Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter cried, throwing another,   
larger bolt of lightning off her fingers.   
  
Again, Ranma dodged, this time bouncing off the wall   
and giving the raspberry in mid-air. He laughed as   
Sailor Jupiter quickly lost her temper, knowing that   
she was outclassed and outmatched by a real martial   
artist.   
  
But the cockiness ended there when Jupiter managed to   
get in a lucky shot with another lightning bolt. Ranma   
howled in pain and was thrown backward against the   
wall from the blow. He felt the crystal surface crack   
against his back, realizing that making the girl angry   
was probably a really, really bad idea.   
  
His ear heard the cracks become more frequent, and   
soon he could hear the rush of water.   
  
And soon, water was the only thing he could see as   
the plant within the hydroelectric plant began to flood   
with the water flow that was supposed to turn the   
turbines.   
  
---   
  
Kodachi Kuno watched from the catwalk above as Ranma   
and Jupiter were swept away swiftly by the incoming   
river flow, laughing at both their plights as she   
willed herself back to headquarters.   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"What happened?" Ami wondered aloud, too shocked to   
think of an answer for herself as she gaped in front of   
the television set.   
  
"Part one of the master plan," Higure answered   
calmly, as if he expected the results.   
  
She stared at the old man angrily. "You KNEW about   
this?!"   
  
"To a point; I am unsure as to the means by which   
this is possible," he admitted. "On the other hand,   
if...."   
  
The disguised soldier was already out the door as he   
continued his rationalization, as the only thought in   
Ami's mind was her critical mistake.   
  
I should've seen this coming, she told herself. I   
could've prevented this... and now the Fenril Knights   
have the means to power the Mekani void-ripper! The   
only way to make up for that is to destroy the engine   
before they can power it up.   
  
However, any such idea disappeared when Ami bumped   
into another, sending her and the other sprawling to   
the ground.   
  
"Geez, watch where you're going, okay?" Shion yelled,   
rubbing his side.   
  
"Shion!" Ami cried. "What have you people done?!"   
  
"Perfect, I was just looking for you," the mercenary   
said, getting back to his feet. He offered his hand   
to Ami, but she refused to take it. "Look, I had no   
idea they were going to do this, either... but in a way   
it makes sense."   
  
"Wholesale slaughter?!" She knew well enough that   
knowing too much would get her in trouble.   
  
"Abduction," he corrected. "The entire populace of   
Crystal Tokyo has been transported to Darkhold, the   
capital city of Nemesis. The others refuse to fight   
until the civilians are taken out of the equation, and   
Ayame just gave them their wish."   
  
So that's your cover story?   
  
"Anyway, I wanted to stop you before you tried   
something stupid," Shion said, withdrawing his hand   
and straightening his jacket. Turning to the side he   
rubbed his chin. "Kanna suspects you're not on the   
level, so it's not in your best interests to affirm   
that idea, is it?"   
  
Ami blinked, realizing that Shion was giving her a   
chance to save herself. How much do you know? she   
wondered. "What makes you think I was going to do   
something?"   
  
"Look, you know even less than I do about what's   
going on in this place," the mercenary said sternly.   
"You're the most likely to panic about what's going on   
around you, but I know you're smarter than that.   
People like us need to stick together; look out for   
each other, you know? Other people fear us because we   
know so much, or THINK we know so much. Heck, some   
might be happy to see ME go. I mean, unless you're   
planning on earning Ayame's wrath...."   
  
She sighed. "Shion... for what it's worth... thank   
you for your concern."   
  
---   
  
North Wind Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
"Mousse!" Shampoo cried, her voice carried by the   
winds. "We're through here!"   
  
The Master of Hidden Weapons nodded mentally as he   
bounced off the sides of the wind towers, occasionally   
throwing darts at Sailor Mars. Although the wind did   
serve to hamper his movement he realized the best way   
to get around it was to allow the winds to help   
propel him, rather than try to work against it.   
  
He allowed the winds to carry him, easily avoiding   
Sailor Mars's flaming snake. Mousse folded his arms   
into his robes, shouting, "It's time we end this game,   
Sailor Spaz! Eat my new Chain Buster!"   
  
Throwing out his arms Mousse threw out a metal   
discus, cutting through the air and leaving vacuum in   
its wake. Unimpressed by the throw Mars leaped back   
and out of the way as the discus slammed into the   
ground, but the weapons master knew better. The   
discus began to glow and shake violently, and burst   
in all directions in the form of numerous heavy chains.   
  
Each chain having a head tipped with a piercing arrow   
head they lanced out at high velocity, narrowly   
missing Sailor Mars, and embedded themselves into the   
wind towers. From there the chain burst into three   
more chains each, further sending more deadly chains   
in the senshi's direction, gradually forming a web of   
chains.   
  
Despite her best efforts to avoid the chains Mars   
found herself tangled in them. As the Chain Buster   
finished its attack cycle Mousse grabbed the nearest   
chain and began swinging his way toward his opponent.   
  
"Now we end this!" he declared, as Mars struggled   
against the chains.   
  
But almost at the last moment he recognized the   
danger he was putting himself in, as Mousse recognized   
that the chains Mars was grasping were turning red   
with intense heat. Quickly he turned tail and headed   
back out from the chain web, but the moment Mars's   
fire seared through the chains the web structure   
began to collapse raggedly.   
  
Hanging on to one chain for dear life he lost track   
of his enemy. He was flung toward one of the towers,   
and he held out his feet to brace himself on impact.   
Succeeding, Mousse rebounded off the side of the tower   
several more times, until the chains around him merely   
dangled uselessly.   
  
Catching his bearings, he saw no sign of Sailor Mars   
anywhere. "Dammit!"   
  
"Mousse, stop playing monkey and let's go!" Shampoo   
shouted from below.   
  
Heh, he thought, not bad for a first field test. No   
doubt there would be time to make more of these Chain   
Busters....   
  
---   
  
West Magic Plant, Crystal Tokyo   
  
"Don't you think you ought to lend me a hand?!"   
Miranda shouted, cutting a vacuum slice with her hands,   
but Venus was faster still at dodging.   
  
From the catwalk above Pantyhose Taro merely snorted.   
  
"Great," she hissed, swinging wide as Venus ducked.   
"Always have to do things myself!"   
  
"How do you expect to win," Venus said, dodging to   
the side, "if you can't even work together?"   
  
"Oh, sure!" Miranda wheeled her foot around for a   
slash. "As if you're doing any much better, prissy   
sissy!"   
  
But she heard a familiar voice commanding, "Miranda,   
it's time to regroup. Forget the senshi."   
  
"Dammit," she cursed, realizing it was Ayame calling   
her. Flipping backward several times the martial   
artist backed away from Venus and closed in on the   
engine. "Well, playtime's over for now, I'll be   
seeing you again!"   
  
With superior speed Miranda sliced at the engine,   
and held her arm there momentarily as magical energies   
sparked out of the new hole. She spun around to the   
side and kicked a hole in it's side, then spun around   
for another, and another, until completing a circle.   
  
"Enjoy your fireworks party!" she cried, grasping at   
the crystal prism hidden in her left glove. Willing   
herself back to headquarters, she left Taro and Venus   
to their demise, if they were too slow to react, that   
is.   
  
Miranda imagined the plant would make really nice   
fireworks.   
  
---   
  
Infirmary, Crystal Palace   
  
"We found a strange anomaly," the chief physician   
reported to Neo Queen Serenity as they proceeded down   
the hall, alone. He held up a manila folder with his   
findings within. "Even though it looks like Shizuka's   
no longer in danger of dying on us... we found some   
extra organism in her bloodstream."   
  
"It is a micro-organism previously unencountered by   
Earth's medical science," the monarch replied   
knowingly, before the doctor could explain. "It is a   
remnant of the Chaos Plague that should have been   
eliminated from the planet's inhabitants entirely."   
  
"The Chaos Plague virus?" exclaimed the doctor. "I   
thought the Silver Crystal completely eradicated it   
when you woke the world from slumber."   
  
"The obvious implication is that Shizuka, and perhaps   
her allies, were never awakened by the crystal," Neo   
Queen Serenity considered, "but that...." She shook   
her head. "I cannot begin to think how we missed   
some people, but it would explain why they were never   
around to be purified."   
  
"Well, if this is the Chaos Plague virus, then it's   
not doing what it's supposed to," the doctor informed   
her. "Supposedly it was going to eat cells and   
multiply, but instead it's actually replicating the   
body's own cells... effectively giving the patient a   
rather rapid natural healing process."   
  
"Then that would explain why she did not want to be   
healed completely."   
  
"Precisely. Assuming this is the same virus, it must   
have mutated heavily."   
  
Or magically altered. "At the observed rate how long   
will it take for Shizuka to fully recover?"   
  
The doctor shook his head and shrugged.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Phase one of our plan is complete," Ayame announced,   
her eyes following the line of all her gathered   
operatives. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw   
Pantyhose Taro wasn't paying attention, standing with   
his arms folded and staring down, as if asleep. "Now,   
all of you did a good job."   
  
"Yeah, whatever," Ukyo snorted. "Why didn't you tell   
us about this?"   
  
"Because you're new; everybody else knew," Higure   
pointed out.   
  
"Ukyo, they'll be okay in Darkhold," Shion assured   
her. "This way, everybody we care about wont get hurt   
in any future battle."   
  
"Yeah, but how do we know for sure?" the chef asked.   
"None of us are stranded in Darkhold."   
  
"So nice of you to volunteer," Ayame interrupted.   
"In fact, you're perfect for the job of overseeing the   
people we transplanted."   
  
Ukyo blinked. "What?"   
  
"Your face has been around town," the leader   
explained. "You're known, liked, and trusted. In fact   
nobody knows you're one of us. Not only that, but you   
have it within your power to lead them. You're perfect   
for the job."   
  
"You want me to go back to being a cook, after all I   
just did to get here?!"   
  
"Precisely."   
  
The okonomiyaki chef groaned. "Gee whiz, at this   
rate I'll NEVER get a shot at the Sailor Senshi. No,   
it's all about 'cook and stay out of the way....'"   
  
"Don't take it personal, Spatula-girl," Shampoo said,   
"it's your life."   
  
Ukyo balled her fists angrily, staring down the   
Chinese Amazon. "You want to make something of it,   
kid?!"   
  
"You'll also be meeting with Sypha and Cinder later,"   
interrupted Ayame. "They're already on Nemesis, there   
to keep tabs on approaching enemies from beyond the   
system. So if you think you're alone... you're not."   
  
"Aren't we spreading our resources a little thin that   
way?" voiced Miranda. "At this rate we'll run out of   
good bodies."   
  
"We've got more than enough machines to supplement   
your numbers," replied Ayame.   
  
"I wasn't talking about the machines," Miranda said.   
"They suck at fighting, and you know it."   
  
"Well, that's beside the point now," Kanna said.   
"Now we're entering Phase two of our plan, which is   
realigning the funnel to transmit energy from Nemesis   
to the void-ripper. Once we fuel the Mekani device   
with enough power we can force a tear in the space-time   
continuum and make our way to the parallel plane,   
thereby bypassing the Gate of Heaven altogether."   
  
"Assuming it works... then what?" wondered Mousse.   
  
"Hopefully, one of us can make a deal with the   
inhabitants," Ayame answered. "If we can make a deal   
with even one of the kami lords, we're set on the   
course to victory."   
  
"How long until the funnel is realigned?" asked   
Higure, obviously itching in anticipation.   
  
"We've already sent the funnel into space with   
several space-equipped machines," Shion answered. "In   
no circumstance can those Sailor Senshi get to it   
without an air to breathe, that much is for sure.   
What they will interfere with, however, is the tear   
we make. In fact, we need all of you to be around the   
tear zone we move the void-ripper to, in case they try   
to destroy it."   
  
"Why not make the tear here?" asked Mousse.   
  
"I'd rather not have something potentially lethal in   
my back yard," the leader replied sternly. She looked   
around again to the others. "We all have our jobs to   
do, so get some rest while you can; we're going to move   
the ripper tomorrow morning."   
  
---   
  
Infirmary, Crystal Palace   
  
Ranma woke with the thought of drowning in her mind.   
  
Surprisingly enough, she found herself quite alive,   
and best of all, high and dry. She stared down at   
herself, recognizing she was wearing a hospital gown,   
and took in her surroundings.   
  
Yep, no doubt, this was a hospital.   
  
The opaque crystal surfaces reflected the dim lights   
in the room, and Ranma knew it was likely still the   
same night, probably rather late. Glancing over at   
the wall clock at the opposing end of the room, she   
realized it was very, very late in the night... or   
rather, very, very early in the morning.   
  
"Dang, they're really going to miss me," Ranma   
realized.   
  
But another realization hit her: the Sailor Senshi   
were probably unaware that she transformed into a girl   
when splashed with cold water!   
  
Taking a silent, triumphant victory, Ranma looked   
around for her clothes, and found them hanging over   
near the shower drain. Quickly she slid out of bed,   
feeling the floor was cold to the touch, but ignored   
it. She pulled aside her shirt, and looked for the   
inner pocket he had sewn in, and sighed in relief when   
he felt the prism was still there.   
  
Of course, escape was far from Ranma's mind. There   
was still time to wreak havoc while within the home of   
the stuck-up Sailor Senshi and their queen.   
  
She felt a yawn coming on, and decided that would   
have to wait until morning. MUCH later in the morning.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Millions of people vanished without a trace, Neo   
Queen Serenity thought. The only survivors of the   
onslaught was herself, the Sailor Senshi, the Fenril   
Knights, the handful of doctors, technicians, and   
guards working in the Crystal Palace at the time of the   
attack, and a girl Jupiter found after the Fenril   
attack, the sole survivor of the attack, it seemed.   
  
The energy shield put in place around the palace   
was holding well, but the power generators could only   
hold out for a week; less if someone decided to pound   
on it. The city could still draw upon the main power   
plants as well, but the magic plant was completely   
demolished, and the hydroelectric plant was ruined with   
the flooding of the engine room, leaving only the wind   
plant up and operational. The Fenril could easily   
destroy that as well, if they were inclined to do so.   
  
Not only that, but they also had access to the   
greatest power source in the universe at their   
fingertips; there was nothing to stop them from   
powering-up the Mekani void-ripper now.   
  
She collapsed on her grand bed, and stared at the   
ceiling wearily. Everything was happening too fast;   
whoever was behind the Fenril Knights' plans was   
obviously a keen mind. She wished Ami was still in   
the palace, that she would do something to stop the   
Fenril Knights... but knew well enough that it was   
under her discretion.   
  
It was likely too late to stop the funnel, she   
thought. Ami probably did not know in time to destroy   
it herself, she wanted to hope. There was no reason   
why she would betray her planet.   
  
Was there?   
  
No, she thought, shaking her head. That kind of   
thinking is the doubt of Chaos, attempting to make her   
question her judgement. It was this type of thinking   
that would give Death Phantom the upper hand.   
  
Death Phantom.   
  
He wanted to meet her in another night, in the   
Crystal Garden. What he wanted to talk about, and why   
so far ahead in time was beyond Neo Queen Serenity's   
thinking.   
  
---   
  
Central Park, Crystal Tokyo,   
The Next Day   
  
If there was a good place to hide something, Kanna   
said, it was in plain sight. Somehow, Shampoo thought   
she was overdoing it.   
  
The cube-like engine and the open flower machine on   
top of it stood out in the open in the abandoned park,   
sitting next to the fountain at the center. The only   
other noise beside the chatter of the technicians   
setting up the machine came from the water flowing   
down the fountain, as the birds fled a long time ago,   
and the people were removed.   
  
She paced back and forth alone quietly, listening to   
the sound of engineer Taydome get upset with one of the   
workers. Shampoo had no idea why Ayame would only let   
her guard the void-ripper, or what the others were   
supposed to be doing, but it certainly made the niece   
of Mishima look rather weak.   
  
The only reason she called the shots was because she   
inherited the fortress.   
  
---   
  
Infirmary, Crystal Palace   
  
Shizuka heard the knock outside her room door, and   
saw Sailor Mars peek her head in.   
  
"Are you awake?" she asked.   
  
"No, I'm sleeping; what do you think?" the priestess   
answered sarcastically. "It's so darn quiet here   
there's no way anybody could sleep."   
  
Shizuka sighed to herself, sitting up in bed straight   
and catching sight of her 'Fire Buster Mark III' down   
to her right, propped up against the wall, within arm's   
reach if necessary. "You may as well come in."   
  
Mars did so, slowly entering and sliding the door   
closed with as little as a creak. "So how are you?"   
she asked.   
  
"Geez, get to the point already," Shizuka complained.   
"When does the interrogation begin?"   
  
"There's not going to be an interrogation," the   
senshi of fire informed her. "That's not the way we do   
things around here."   
  
"Very inefficient, that. If you hunt someone you get   
your information as quickly and as concise as possible,   
otherwise you'll regret it later."   
  
"We're not hunting. We're trying to help you."   
  
Shizuka snorted. "If I wanted your help, I would've   
asked for it. Not that your previous 'help' did me a   
whole lot of good."   
  
"You're not dying anymore," Mars pointed out.   
  
"That wasn't what I was talking about," she countered   
quickly. "I'm talking about your hand-held disco   
ball."   
  
"The Silver Crystal is an artifact of light," the   
senshi replied. "It can't do evil."   
  
"Probably not directly, but indirectly... I'd say so,   
wouldn't you?"   
  
Mars was about to object again, but held her tongue.   
  
"Gee whiz, you pyro. You're a priestess; you should   
know as well as I that you can't make everybody happy   
with what you do." Shizuka shrugged. "I've made   
plenty of people mad even though I know I'm doing a   
good thing."   
  
"But what your friends are doing now isn't," Mars   
replied. "Do you know what they did to the city?"   
  
Shizuka waited for the answer, folding her arms.   
  
"They kidnapped the entire population of Crystal   
Tokyo, and destroyed two power plants supplying energy   
to the city. We're lucky that we don't have as much   
power consumption, so one plant can hold, but that   
doesn't excuse your friends' actions."   
  
"You think I had any idea they were going to really   
do it?" Shizuka said. "Heck, I think they're doing you   
all a favor."   
  
"Why's that?"   
  
"Because this time there's no reason to hold back."   
  
Mars's expression transformed into subdued shock, and   
Shizuka realized she hit a nerve. Yes, you'd have   
liked to have hid behind hostages, wouldn't you? Or   
do you think I know something I shouldn't know?   
  
"Leave me," she ordered.   
  
"Not until you answer me one thing," Mars insisted.   
  
Once again the priestess shrugged.   
  
"Back when we first met... a couple weeks ago," she   
began, "you were emitting a dark aura. But, when I   
tried my spirit wards on you they didn't work... which   
means you're not truly aligned to evil. Something you   
have, or maybe it was you yourself, was masking your   
goodness under a blanket of darkness. Why are you   
aligned with those who would destroy everyone's   
happiness?"   
  
"Feh, long-winded, aren't you?" Shizuka considered   
not answering the question, but she felt feisty at the   
moment. "Okay, you want the truth? You can't handle   
the truth: I'm evil. I'm really, really evil.   
Anything you see that's good in me is an illusion. I'm   
so evil that it'll make your head spin. I'm so evil   
I'm banned in forty-two prefectures. I'm so evil my   
fellows call me the 'Silencer of Souls.' I'm so evil I   
have a pet boa constrictor that good girls would run in   
terror from, just because they think he's a slimey,   
scaly monster."   
  
"Well, here's another thing you should know; consider   
it a bonus answer. 'Good' and 'evil' are defined by   
society. Whatever the trend of the vast majority   
collectively determines what is good and evil. Such   
arbitrary labels, they become. What's good for one can   
be just as evil to another; you do remember what I told   
the kids, right? I told them that story because it's   
the cold, hard, truth, and it's the truth of my   
existence. Whoever controls society controls what is   
good and evil. I'm evil, because society deemed it   
so."   
  
Smirking, she finished, "Is that the answer you were   
looking for?"   
  
Her rival breathed a heavy sigh. "There's good in   
you; you just won't admit it," she decided. "Maybe not   
today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, you will."   
  
As she watched Mars exit the room Shizuka muttered   
under her breath, "When you and your queen's regime are   
nothing but dust in the wind, prostitute; perhaps then   
society could judge me 'good.' How little you   
understand, Hikawa priestess... I'm evil because I'm   
good."   
  
---   
  
"Hey, how're you doing?" Sailor Jupiter shouted,   
causing Ranma to jump in place.   
  
"Who let you in?!" Ranma demanded.   
  
"Sorry about that," she apologized. "Didn't mean to   
scare you."   
  
"You could've at least knocked," the martial artist   
pointed out.   
  
"I was worried about you," the senshi admitted. "I   
mean, what were you doing in a place like that in the   
first place?"   
  
Ranma froze in her tracks, racing to find an answer   
in her mind, but fortunately Jupiter came up with one   
of her own.   
  
She shrugged. "I guess that's not important. You're   
the last person left in the city besides the workers   
here at the palace."   
  
"I am?" Ranma said, surprised-- although more of it   
was finding out she was in the palace itself.   
  
"For your own safety we can't let you go outside,"   
the senshi continued. "Bad guys are poised to attack   
it, so we don't want you to get hurt. Otherwise, if   
you're okay, I guess you're free to run around."   
  
"Thanks," she replied, smiling. This Sailor Jupiter   
had no idea what she was offering, Ranma thought. It   
was almost too good to be true.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Neo Queen Serenity sighed in frustration, now that   
static was showing on all channels of her viewscreen.   
She tried every frequency she could think of to make a   
call out to her husband, King Endymion, in Geneva, but   
none of them could go through.   
  
In fact, as she understood it, no frequency made it   
anywhere outside the city limits, likely a consequence   
of the Fenril enchantment, or they set up jamming   
towers overnight. Whichever the case, they did a   
thorough job of doing it, as the jamming blanket did   
well enough to cover the palace.   
  
For a brief moment she remembered the journal Death   
Phantom's host left behind, recalling that they, too,   
experienced something similar then, but they had no   
idea it was because of the last comet that fell on the   
city, just before the world was awakened.   
  
The last battle... it was all that she and her senshi   
could do to demolish the comet before it destroyed   
anything on earth. Trusting their power in the Silver   
Crystal they defeated Pharaoh 90's final weapon in the   
atmosphere, before impact point, but it was likely a   
disturbance in the magnetic field that caused the   
frequency shift. She was unsure as to the exact cause,   
but it likely had to do with the comet.   
  
But apparently, Pharaoh 90 was no fool, as even the   
destruction of his simplistic weapon was enough to   
give birth to his more dangerous brother, Death   
Phantom.   
  
"We need someone to try and escape the jamming   
curtain," she decided, turning around to face Sailor   
Venus, who was waiting the entire time. "I am unsure   
how long we can last while the Fenril Knights have the   
upper hand, and we need help as soon as possible."   
  
"What kind of help?" asked Venus. "The Peacekeepers   
aren't armed, either. They're not equipped to deal   
with the Fenril Knights; their skill is far superior   
that they totally ignored the Peacekeepers in the city,   
too."   
  
"What choice do we have?" countered the queen. She   
glanced at the Silver Crystal, lying on its pedestal.   
"Many times we turned toward this relic for the answer,   
but too often. Perhaps we have caused as much grief as   
joy with its power. It was this object of power that   
created the Black Moon Family, no matter how hard we   
tried to prevent it."   
  
"You're letting them get to you!" Venus said   
anxiously. "How can you believe the Silver Crystal is   
the thing causing all this grief? How many times has   
it saved us, and the Earth, from destruction? How many   
times have we prevented the Silence? Without that   
crystal, everything we fought for would've been lost."   
  
"Which is the reason we are relying on its power too   
much," Neo Queen Serenity replied calmly. "Even if   
they have Death Phantom behind them, the Fenril Knights   
never needed the Black Crystal in order to stand   
against us; they did that out of their own free will,   
trusting their own strengths and abilities. That girl   
Shizuka... she is about as average, if not weak, a   
person as anybody, but somehow she finds the strength   
to fight us, and in an adept manner. The two warriors   
Mousse and Shampoo... individually, they have trouble   
defeating one of you, but together, their power is   
unparalleled."   
  
She shook her head. "Who knows how much more   
powerful the rest of the Fenril Knights are? The point   
is they do not rely on a magical artifact to win."   
  
"Is that what you want?" wondered Venus. "Are you   
ready to cave in to their demands, just because they're   
more admirable in their way of fighting? Their goal,   
even? Your Highness, forgive me if I'm out of place,   
but I think you're off your royal rocker."   
  
The words seemed to stir old emotions up in the   
queen's heart, but nevertheless she allowed Venus to   
continue.   
  
"We've come too far to just give up. The stakes are   
higher; it's not because it's the Earth in danger, but   
you're the queen of Earth, and you have a big   
responsibility to the people under you. Just because   
seventeen guys want to start an uprising and you like   
them it doesn't mean you should let them get their way.   
You set an example for your subjects; what would they   
think if you surrendered to them? We'd all lose face,   
and everything we fought so hard to build. Every enemy   
we fought before... everything would've been fought in   
vain. People died, and we can't disgrace their memory   
because of these Fenril Knights."   
  
"Too much has happened to simply give up, Your   
Highness," she repeated. "The Fenril Knights are   
poised to attack the palace; we've detected their   
presence all around. We'll defend the palace, but it   
won't stop them from opening the rift to the other   
dimension. Are you just going to let them find out on   
their own? The Sailor Moon I know certainly wouldn't."   
  
"Sailor Venus," Neo Queen Serenity replied, "I am not   
Sailor Moon. As you said, I have a much larger   
responsibility. I am the queen of Earth. If my   
example is the wrong one, then is it not my right to   
change it?"   
  
She took in several deep breaths, realizing she was   
getting upset at the wrong person. "Forgive me,   
Venus. Of course you are right; we should try to warn   
them. But I still want an expedition formed to leave   
the jamming curtain; my position still stands. Take   
any necessary steps to ensure that they make it   
safely."   
  
"So how're we going to tell them? The Fenril   
Knights, I mean."   
  
"The only way to know for certain is to tell the one   
we have in our palace."   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ami felt like doing something, but Ayame made it   
quite plain to her there was nothing for her to do.   
  
Anyone that had no specific duty, for that matter,   
was moping about in the rec room, trying to keep   
themselves busy. Ayame left the task of guarding the   
void-ripper up to Shampoo and Chief Engineer Taydome,   
a Mishima employee from the old days, and gave the   
information on the location to nobody.   
  
Ukyo had long since vanished, likely taking on her   
role as steward of Darkhold. While Ami never got to   
know the okonomiyaki chef well enough she felt certain   
that she would take her duty seriously. Perhaps she   
was the best choice to watch over the captive city, if   
her vocalized anger over their captivity was any   
indication.   
  
It turned out that one of the warriors, Ranma   
Saotome, never returned after the fight the previous   
night. The reactions out of Pantyhose Taro and   
Miranda Kusao were of pleasure, while the others   
expressed indifference. Kodachi Kuno, for her part,   
hardly believed a little water could finish him off...   
if her thinking could count for anything.   
  
The girl known as Kodachi was a complete screwball,   
as far as Ami could tell. Beyond her flowery speech   
Kodachi made it a point to essentially become her   
deceased brother, apparently a kendoist. She   
practiced alone in the training hall often, but anyone   
watching her would say that she was a master of the   
blade, even though it was never her original art.   
  
Ayame sent the bulk of the fighting crew out to   
assault the Crystal Palace in its moment of weakness,   
leaving only Higure, Hokuto, and herself behind. They   
were bored. Very, very, bored.   
  
Both Fenril were playing a silent game of chess, each   
taking their time to make a move. Ami sat on the   
couch in front of the television set, finding that no   
channel was available, due to some sort of   
interference. She felt powerless to stop the Fenril   
Knights from using the void-ripper, but, on the other   
hand, they had very little to gain by using it.   
  
It wouldn't do if she told them that, or that would   
blow her cover.   
  
The only thing she could do now was wait, and waiting   
made her anxious.   
  
---   
  
Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Pantyhose Taro was completely bored.   
  
It was his task to pummel the Crystal Palace's tough   
force barrier from the north, and to supplement his   
attack he was given a platoon of GAIA robots, direct   
fresh from the hidden Mishima factories. He had little   
respect for the machines, even less for the ones who   
built them, and none for the ones who used them. Ayame   
Mishima was the one who was using them.   
  
The idea was to surround the palace on all sides:   
Mousse held the west, Miranda held the east, and   
Kodachi held the south. Taro knew well enough that   
their presence was required only to deal with the   
Sailor Senshi, but even they weren't worth his time.   
  
The one he wanted was the queen.   
  
Each of them was backed by a platoon of GAIAs of   
their own, all waiting for the order from Ayame to   
pummel the shield. The idea was to drain the energy   
from having to deflect so many shots, then roll the   
machines in and slaughter the queen. If Taro knew the   
guardians of Crystal Tokyo, they could deal with the   
machines without a problem. After all, the droids were   
far more intelligent, and they got wasted really fast.   
  
He produced the black crystal prism in his hand, the   
one thing that kept him tethered to Ayame Mishima and   
her crack head. No, today was the day that she would   
regret showing him up. Today was the day of reckoning,   
in more ways than one.   
  
All he had to do was kill the queen, and he would   
have no need for Ayame anymore.   
  
---   
  
Ranma stared out the balcony, her eyes catching view   
of the platoon of Mishima robots lined up at the south   
end of the palace through the blue-tinted energy   
barrier. She produced a chunk of crystal she broke   
off one of the walls, glad that her defiling would go   
unnoticed when the crystal grew over it.   
  
Raising her arm, she threw the chunk at the barrier.   
It splashed off the edge of the barrier, rippling a   
wave of energy from the impact point like a rock thrown   
in a still pond. She saw the crystal chunk explode   
into nothingness... and the martial artist realized   
that there was no way she was going to get out that   
way.   
  
She took a moment to stare out at the gathered GAIAs   
once again, and wondered why they were waiting. Ranma   
knew enough about Ayame and her twisted schemes that   
she was planning to pummel the shield to death, until   
the palace's power plants ran dry, but neither of them   
had any idea how prepared the queen was for this   
eventuality.   
  
Ranma shook her head, unable to imagine how many of   
their valuable bullets they'll end up wasting before   
the shield goes down. Bullets had to be manufactured   
in-house in the hidden factories because of the world-   
wide disarmament, but there was a shortage of raw   
material and time. Yes, the GAIAs would run out of   
bullets before they break the shield.   
  
As she turned back inside, walking in the halls alone   
and unmolested by the occasional doctor or tired-eyed   
worker, Ranma wondered how the Sailor Senshi planned on   
getting in and out.   
  
She came to a full stop when she heard a familiar   
voice shout a doctor out of her room.   
  
"Touch me again, and you're fish bait!" she cried,   
sending the doctor scrambling to safety.   
  
"It can't be," Ranma thought, but she knew it was   
true that voice belonged to the living oxymoron.   
  
Poking her head into the door where the doctor was   
recently kicked out the martial artist saw the   
priestess of Genbu lying in bed, reading a magazine,   
her right foot propped on top of her left. To her   
right Ranma saw the weird flame-thrower weapon Shizuka   
was given before she was captured, and for a moment she   
wondered why the Sailor Senshi would leave such a   
weapon in an enemy's hands.   
  
"Shizuka?" Ranma asked testingly.   
  
Throwing down the magazine on her lap angrily, the   
priestess opened her mouth to yell down another doctor,   
but stopped before any word could come out. She rolled   
her tongue around once in her open mouth, obviously   
confused, flustered, or stumped... perhaps all at the   
same time.   
  
Quickly Ranma slid the door shut, hoping that nobody   
saw her enter. "It's me, Ranma?"   
  
Again, no words would come out of her mouth. She   
mouthed silently, "What the hell are you doing here?"   
  
"I was going to ask you the same thing. You look   
like you're making yourself comfortable, traitor."   
  
"Don't you call me 'traitor,' transvestite," Shizuka   
seethed, finally finding her voice. "You think they   
don't know that's really you in that girl's disguise?"   
  
"It's not a girl's disguise," Ranma corrected. "And   
it's their fault they don't know I'm cursed."   
  
"So when'd you get here? And did they finish the   
Dead End Buster yet?"   
  
"How should I know? Both questions."   
  
"What's going on out there? I can't get up... well,   
because I'm not supposed to be able to get up." She   
rolled up her sleeve, and showed Ranma her arm. "It   
might not matter for long because they already got a   
blood sample off me."   
  
"Shit," Ranma cursed. "So much for that advantage."   
  
"They're probably trying to figure a way to counter   
it even as we speak."   
  
"Probably, and they'll get all the time in the world   
now that they got the energy barrier around the palace.   
Nobody's getting in or out until the palace runs out   
of power."   
  
"Then just cut off the power plants."   
  
Ranma shook her head. "We did that already. They   
probably prepared backup generators, but I don't know   
where they are."   
  
"Don't bother looking for them, then," suggested   
Shizuka. "You'll blow your cover. Focus on finding a   
way out of this dump, because if what you're saying is   
true neither of us are going anywhere."   
  
"Do you still have your prism?"   
  
Shizuka nodded. "Mine got broke, so I switched mine   
with Ryoga's while he was here. He's probably long   
at home by now."   
  
"Well, the prisms don't work in the palace for some   
reason," Ranma explained. "I tried it already... wait   
a sec... what about Ryoga?"   
  
"That dipstick caved in," the priestess explained.   
"He got himself purified by the Silver Crystal. He   
told me to tell you it was the best thing he'd done in   
his entire life. Feels good and stuff." She shrugged.   
"He said you need to go back to Akane."   
  
"Well, too late for that now," Ranma replied. "She's   
probably on Nemesis by now. At least Ukyo's there to   
look after her."   
  
"But still... she's your girlfriend."   
  
"She's not the same girl... she'll never be the same   
until we get this Neo Queen Serenity to change   
everybody back to the way they were."   
  
Shizuka reached out and grabbed the martial artist's   
arm firmly. "Ranma, listen to me," she said in her   
serious tone. "It'll never go back to the way it was   
before. And I mean never. It's too late."   
  
"W...what are you talking about?"   
  
They heard a knock on the door. Both girls froze in   
their tracks.   
  
Silently Shizuka mouthed, "Don't do anything."   
Turning toward the door, she shouted, "Who is it?!"   
  
Slowly, Ranma backed away from Shizuka as the door   
opened.   
  
Neo Queen Serenity entered the room, in all her   
radiant glory. Her eyes passed from Shizuka to Ranma,   
and back to Shizuka. "I was unaware you were hosting a   
guest."   
  
"Well, I..." Ranma stuttered.   
  
But Shizuka already seemed to have an answer. "She   
just came in after I threw in one of your doctors out.   
Those creeps keep wanting to 'examine' me. Blasted   
perverts."   
  
Best of all, it was the truth. "I'm Ranko," Ranma   
introduced herself. "Pleased to meet you, Your   
Majesty." She bowed, adding to the charade.   
  
"A pleasure to meet you, too," replied the queen.   
"Would you please excuse us? I must have a word with   
Shizuka."   
  
"Well, 'Your Royal-Pain-in-the-Brain,'" Shizuka said   
disrespectfully, "I don't think there's anything you   
have to say that's too soon for the rest of the people   
to know, isn't it? Don't you want to elaborate on the   
true history of your world?"   
  
Ranma blinked in surprise. "What?"   
  
Neo Queen Serenity nodded. "I see. You have known   
in advance as to the nature of my words." She sighed.   
"Perhaps nothing more can be done about it."   
  
"It all began in 1999...."   
  
---   
  
"Sailor Venus!" Kodachi shouted toward the energy   
shield, standing on top of the lead GAIA with her   
sword raised. "I know you are listening! Hear me, I   
am Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose, sister to the man you   
have wrongly slain, my brother, Tatewaki Kuno!"   
  
She got no obvious reply. Continuing, "You possess   
that which brings shame to my family and my brother...   
the very weapon he used when you slew him, and that   
you wrongfully stolen from me! If you Sailor Senshi   
have any sense of justice, then you will meet me out   
here in single combat. The victor shall keep the sword   
and honor of my illustrious family."   
  
"What say you?!"   
  
Several moments passed, and nothing happened.   
Nearby, at a pay phone, Kodachi heard a ringing.   
Jumping off the GAIA, curious, she walked to the booth   
and picked up the phone off the hook. "Hello?"   
  
"Kodachi Kuno, this is Sailor Venus," she heard in   
the receiver, "I'm truly sorry about your brother, and   
if there was another way I wish he hadn't fallen in   
battle like he did. You've challenged me to a duel for   
your family's honor. Understand that what you're   
demanding is unfeasible, as I can't give back what   
I hadn't taken."   
  
Angrily, Kodachi threw the receiver out of her hand,   
and spun her sword about in an arc. With a precise   
drive she smashed the pay phone in two, sending coins   
and sparks showering around her.   
  
"You coward," she hissed, "you would dare to insult   
the name of Kuno in this manner?!"   
  
Sheathing her sword hard, Kodachi produced a radio   
transmitter from her belt. Clicking a button, she   
shouted, "Ayame, kill them! Kill them all!!"   
  
All at once, all four GAIA platoons opened fire on   
the energy shield surrounding the Crystal Palace.   
  
---   
  
"I need a sword," Venus decided, watching the main   
viewscreen, where the Fenril robots were unloading   
their gattling cannons on the energy shield. "I mean   
a real sword."   
  
The nearest technician replied, "But Lady Venus, the   
use and manufacture of weapons has been banned by the   
state."   
  
"Look at that out there," Venus countered, pointing   
one gloved finger toward the viewscreen. "Are you   
going to tell them that? Sooner or later that Kodachi   
is going to corner me into a fight, and I'm going to   
have to defend myself against that big heavy steel   
she's swinging around."   
  
"The Fenril Knights just proved to us how dangerous   
it is to be without a way to fight back," she   
continued. "We can set up all the defense shields we   
want, but it's never going to hold up against anything   
they're throwing at us. We're running out of time."   
  
Send an expedition? Venus thought. They'd be lucky   
to get past that, much less the shield.   
  
---   
  
"Powering up the void-ripper, now," Taydome announced   
to Shampoo, followed by a low-powered hum. Slowly the   
noise grew, until the engine of Mekani design began to   
turn its gears for the first time.   
  
Shampoo saw a ring of energy form over the flower-   
like void-ripper mechanism, followed by static   
discharges that were short lived that one had to be   
looking intently for them in order to see them.   
  
"Is this what it's supposed to do?" she asked no one   
in particular, as a dark tear in the dimensional   
fabric began to form over the void-ripper.   
  
Slowly, the hole grew larger, throwing the sky into   
blackness.   
  
---   
  
"The year 1999, on June 30th, was the last day of   
the old Earth," Neo Queen Serenity said. "It was that   
day that Vizier, the fourth Child of Chaos, appeared on   
Earth, seeking the Silver Crystal. It was strange, in   
that more of the Chaos Children were appearing even   
after our confrontation with Chaos itself. We fought   
the monster upon its descent on the Earth, but even in   
defeat Vizier's plan was put to action. We failed to   
stop his attempt to bring the Silence, as his death   
introduced what we term as the Chaos Plague to   
humanity."   
  
"This plague consisted of a virus: of sophisticated   
cell-like creatures that entered the human body and   
proceeded to destroy people on the cellular level. If   
we did not act quickly those infected were projected to   
die in a matter of weeks. Unfortunately, the plague   
was an airborne virus, and it spread quickly. The only   
thing we could do was halt the virus in its tracks   
until we could devise a means to wipe it out   
completely."   
  
"It was then we devised a daring plan: we would place   
the human population in a state of suspended animation,   
not unlike cryo-freezing technology, and initiated the   
Great Sleep. With the Silver Crystal at our disposal   
we thought we had time on our side, but that was not to   
be."   
  
She shook her head sadly. "The Great Sleep... it was   
the last any of our subjects would know about the   
history of my kingdom's birth."   
  
"You see, numerous problems arose from placing the   
entire world to sleep. Disasters left unchecked,   
nuclear arsenal threatening to fire without proper   
maintenance, and still-functioning machinery that put   
the sleeping populace in jeopardy. It took many months   
to set those problems right, but it was not until a   
year later we realized a more dangerous consequence."   
  
"The Gate of Heaven," Shizuka realized. "No one was   
left to keep it sealed."   
  
"The invaders attacked without warning. They were   
the mechanical plague, the beings known as the Mekani.   
We do not know where they came from originally, but   
they emerged from the void between this plane and the   
Kami Plane. In leaving the seal on the Gate of Heaven   
to expire we allowed alien invaders to threaten the   
planet."   
  
"We could not counter the spiderian Mekani on our own   
as their mechanized numbers overwhelmed us. Our only   
hope was to awaken those who lived and died to watch   
the seal."   
  
"My people," the priestess finished.   
  
"Awakened prematurely they were still infected with   
the Chaos Plague. Those men and women volunteered   
their lives to find a way to defeat the Mekani threat   
once and for all. Unfortunately, most died before the   
final solution was realized. Shizuka, your mentor,   
Mizuki, was the last of them. The only way to wipe out   
the threat forever was to collapse the void between   
the planes. After doing so, it was a simple matter to   
mop up the rest of the Mekani Hive."   
  
"However, Mizuki warned us of a consequence of such   
an action. If we collapsed the void we would topple   
the Kami Plane on top of our own. In effect the two   
planes would merge, merging locales, or wiping them   
out entirely on a purely random basis. Therefore,   
before we could collapse the void we had to devise a   
means to protect the Earth from being demolished."   
  
"Our solution was the crystal you see around you   
today. It was a special material from the old Silver   
Millennium days that would maintain order against   
chaos, and it was exactly what we needed. We   
introduced enough of the crystal to the Earth that   
covered the entire planet. By then we were ready, and   
we collapsed the void."   
  
"And in effect you created another problem," Shizuka   
pointed out. "You wiped out the people of another   
world in order to save this one. The Kami Plane was a   
small parallel plane created by the kami long ago in   
order to live apart from humanity that threatened to   
destroy them. The Kami Plane also served to   
create the void that sealed the Mekani, a threat they   
could not counter. Inevitably, the two planes were   
always connected, as what happened on one affected the   
other. Disasters in this world could be attributed to   
a battle in the other world, and vice versa. In a   
sense, it wasn't a true plane at all, but yet it was."   
  
"But, by collapsing the void, you broke a sacred   
trust. You wiped out the Mekani, yes, but you also   
sacrificed the lives of numerous peoples on the Kami   
Plane."   
  
Neo Queen Serenity nodded. "The only survivors were   
the underworld civilizations: places that could not be   
annihilated by the crystal upon the merge. Angered at   
the change of their world, and the massive genocide of   
their fellow spirit folk, the Infernals, as they were   
called, waged a terrible war against us. It took   
several years to defeat them, and we were forced to   
destroy them to the last."   
  
"Master Cinder is not going to be happy," Shizuka   
noted.   
  
"Many wars later, we were getting too old, and a   
solution to the Chaos Plague was a long time coming.   
In order to carry on our work we extended our life   
spans. We are effectively immortal, and have lived for   
over a thousand years."   
  
"Gimmie a sword, and I'll cut off that head of   
yours."   
  
"In the coming years numerous threats from beyond the   
stars attacked us. One after another we suffered   
attacks from Tau Ceti, the region of space dominated by   
Pharaoh 90. Even though we had destroyed him, the   
Bringer of Silence had given itself a new spawn, one   
that was poised to Silence Earth once and for all. He   
sent numerous space-borne potential disasters against   
us for a long time, until Uranus and Neptune   
volunteered to travel to Tau Ceti and defeat Pharaoh   
90's spawn. We have not heard much of what they did   
in Tau Ceti, but we were informed that the attacks   
would end."   
  
"The last attack came and went, and by then we had   
found a solution to defeating the Chaos Plague. Slowly   
we reawakened the populace of Earth, and eliminated the   
virus as well. It was determined that, in order to   
usher a new era of peace and harmony, we would have to   
change the hearts of men such that they would no   
longer desire to fight."   
  
"Conflicts became a thing of the past. People   
settled their differences with talks and words, not   
guns and tools of destruction. Tolerance became the   
accepted common rather than the awkward outcast.   
Humanity worked toward the common good rather than the   
selfish interest. All of that and more made this new   
Earth a true utopia."   
  
"That is, until the uprising. Many men and women   
were unprepared to set aside all they had lived with,   
much less their lives, to live under my rule. They   
took up arms and tried to wage a war against us, but   
ultimately they failed. I could not force them to   
live under my rule, but they could not be allowed to   
stay on my Earth. In order to protect my people I   
exiled them to Nemesis, a habitable world that would   
have eventually become one of Earth's first colonies.   
I believed they could make Nemesis habitable for the   
people of Earth. I believed that good could come out   
of their impure natures. I believed they would   
eventually embrace what the rest of humanity had,   
because they, too, craved peace and harmony."   
  
"I was wrong."   
  
"I'm glad you admit that," Shizuka replied flatly.   
  
"Those people exiled to Nemesis eventually became   
known as the Black Moon Family. They struggled to get   
their lives together for many years, but revenge was   
always foremost in their minds. They truly wished for   
peace and harmony, but they did not agree with the   
vision I had for Earth. They believed I removed that   
which made humans human. For that they secretly geared   
up for war."   
  
"But they could not do it alone. One of the first   
people exiled to Nemesis was a brilliant man. I could   
not understand why one of his mind could not tolerate   
living on Earth any longer, but he chose his path. On   
Nemesis he discovered the traces of an ancient   
civilization, of a kingdom wiped out by the Sailor   
Senshi of old. There, he discovered the Black Crystal,   
an artifact of immense power, but he also was   
discovered by the last of the Chaos Children, the Death   
Phantom."   
  
"Death Phantom rose to power, eventually mastering   
the ancient black magic well beyond that of the rest   
of the Black Moon Family. He became the advisor of   
their charismatic leader, Prince Diamond. Manipulating   
him Death Phantom guided the Black Moon to attack   
Earth, using his dark magic in order to bring about   
the Silence."   
  
"His power became so great that the Silver Crystal   
alone could not counter his Black Crystal, but we   
defeated him. We believed we destroyed him, but again,   
we were wrong, because he still walks among us. On   
Nemesis, Death Phantom was called the Wiseman."   
  
"If you thought I was going to be surprised and join   
your side over this little story, think again," the   
priestess of Genbu said quickly, venom dripping in her   
words. "You've openly admitted to exterminating entire   
peoples just to satisfy your ambitions."   
  
"Is this true?" asked Ranma.   
  
Sadly, the queen nodded. "Many had to make   
sacrifices in order to create this perfect world, and   
it is only the seventeen of you, the Fenril Knights,   
that would threaten the peace and harmony forged in   
blood. We have no wish to war."   
  
"You used her," Shizuka accused. "You used Mizuki,   
my friends, and everybody I considered family, just so   
you can correct your first mistake. Not only that, but   
in order to fix your second mistake you exterminated   
more friends and enemies. Just because the kami aren't   
real doesn't make them any less real! They breathed   
and thought just like you and me, and you threw them   
away just to save humanity, you disgusting woman."   
  
"You exterminated millions of people of other races   
in order to forge a utopia in your vision," she   
continued angrily. "In the name of peace and harmony,   
you really did forge this world of yours in blood. No   
one would know about it, either, because it would mar   
your perfect history of benevolence. You don't want   
war because you like the way things are, not because   
you're tired of it."   
  
"You banished people to Nemesis because they were the   
first who saw what you did. No matter how good your   
intentions they recognized that they had to sell their   
souls to live on the planet they loved. Maybe they   
didn't know what happened when you made this rock your   
own, but they were at least still human."   
  
"I wish I wasn't right," Shizuka admitted. "I really   
wish the concept of good was the same for everybody,   
but this is harsh reality... and it always said it   
wasn't. Your Highness, you don't have any idea how   
much I wanted to believe you were the real deal, but   
now my heart and soul has seen the truth, at last."   
  
"Shizuka... calm down," suggested Ranma slowly.   
  
"And you don't know anything about Wiseman," she   
continued, ignoring Ranma completely. "Sure, he's not   
the most believable guy in the world, and certainly   
he ought to get a girlfriend, but at least you could   
depend on him. He shares our vision. And this Chaos   
thing... who are you to decide that the random element   
of chaos be eliminated entirely from the human race?   
Don't you appreciate ANYTHING about the chaos in your   
life? It's what makes life worth living... living   
each day... and you're forgoing that in favor of rigid   
Order."   
  
"I couldn't agree more," a fourth voice said, this   
time muffled by a slight bit of static.   
  
"Eh?" gasped Ranma.   
  
Shizuka reached up her sleeve, and produced a radio   
transmitter. A light was blinking on top, indicating   
that it was on and in use.   
  
Neo Queen Serenity's eyes opened wide with surprise.   
"The jamming curtain... it does not affect every   
frequency...."   
  
"Hello, Neo Queen Serenity," continued the voice.   
"I'm sure you've heard of me by now, and yes, we're on   
our own frequency, a hole in the range of the jamming   
curtain. I'm Ayame Mishima, niece of the former head   
of Mishima Heavy Industries, and everything you two   
have said was quite interesting."   
  
The queen lowered her head sadly.   
  
"Know this, Neo Queen Serenity," Ayame warned, "if   
you don't surrender yourself now, we will continue to   
attack until your world order is nothing but dust in   
the wind. We will not rest until we avenge the deaths   
of those on your head, and restored Earth to its   
original state. We will lay down our lives for the   
rest of humanity. And know this, my dear queen... we   
thank you for leaving behind the one kami that could   
turn the tide of this war between us."   
  
Shizuka felt a cold spasm in her heart, and   
immediately knew the answer to that which Ayame was   
speaking of. "He's back."   
  
---   
  
Taydome shirked back, hiding behind Shampoo, who was   
also about ready to break and run. The hole the void-   
ripper tore into the dimensional fabric indeed lead to   
nowhere, but nowhere happened to contain something   
chained within.   
  
At first its ethereal, ghost-white boney skull   
emerged from the rift. Resembling that of a great   
reptilian creature the head was soon followed by the   
rest of its skeletal body, all the way down to its   
boney tail.   
  
Spanning its wings spread widely, if the creature had   
skin and meat on it Shampoo would have thought it to be   
a Western dragon, but it was picked clean to the bone   
and magically animated somehow. Although she could   
see through the creature the sharp talons on its claws   
looked very solid enough, and the ghost dragon dug its   
toes into the ground, ripping up crystal. An opaque   
white emptiness filled its rib cage, and it didn't take   
a genius to know that something was missing there.   
  
"Free," the creature rumbled, its voice coming from   
the pits of the Abyss itself, "free at last!" The   
ghost dragon roared in delight, an eerie laugh that   
sent the Mishima technicians scrambling for their very   
lives.   
  
Shampoo rubbed her eyes, wishing she never saw what   
she saw before her again.   
  
Deathclaw, the ghost dragon, has returned to Earth.   
  
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
The first part of the story is over; stay tuned for   
more.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	6. Shade of Gray

Souls of Fire #6: Shade of Gray   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
"I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world   
without hate. And I can picture us attacking that   
world, because they'd never expect it."   
-- "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handy   
  
  
Severely dwarfing Shampoo the ghost dragon Deathclaw   
stared down at the Chinese Amazon with his cold,   
pupiless eyes. Fear froze her in place, and all   
feeling left her body, yet she knew the engineer,   
Taydome, was still hiding behind her.   
  
Deathclaw peered at Shampoo carefully, his mammoth   
head bowing low so his right eye could study her. "It   
is not much, but you will have to do for now."   
  
What was it that made Deathclaw so fearsome? Shampoo   
raced to remember. Unfortunately for her, she was   
about to get the answer first-hand.   
  
The ghost dragon reared his head back, and extended a   
boney claw toward her. Ethereal lightning raced off   
his talons, skewering Shampoo through the heart. She   
lurched forward in pain, and barely noticed Taydome   
scramble even farther for safety. She stared down at   
her chest, and saw the red crystalline shape emerge   
from her body.   
  
It was then she remembered: Deathclaw could not hope   
to survive in the living world without a host.   
  
Shampoo screamed in terror as the ghost dragon forced   
himself into her soul.   
  
---   
  
Infirmary, Crystal Palace   
  
"Neo Queen Serenity," Shizuka said, addressing the   
monarch of Earth, "it is to your advantage if you would   
allow me to leave the palace at once. I guarantee   
you won't like what's coming."   
  
"Deathclaw," she knew. "It was the one kami we could   
not destroy during the war." Serenity glanced toward   
Shizuka, and saw a certain paleness wash over her   
features. "He is bound strongly to this plane. Since   
we could not find out the reason in time we had to   
remove him from this plane, for surely the ghost dragon   
would inhabit one of our own bodies."   
  
"You figured it out," the priestess replied. "I'm   
Deathclaw's true host."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Symbiosis," explained Shizuka. "Deathclaw requires   
a powerful host to remain in the living world. I   
require that which fulfills my corrupt soul. Unlike   
the others, who surely fear having their soul held by   
an undead monstrosity, I do benefit from the   
symbiosis. I can feel him coming now."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Crap, what the hell is that?!" Shion cried, watching   
on the viewscreen as Deathclaw slammed his claws   
furiously against the Crystal Palace's energy shield.   
In the shockwaves of the attack the Mishima robots   
flew off in all directions, smashing and exploding as   
they crashed.   
  
"I don't believe this," Ayame said, shocked. "I   
never imagined the beast could be this powerful." She   
turned toward the mercenary. "Recall our people, we   
can't lose them to that thing."   
  
In an instant Mousse appeared in the control center.   
"You mind explaining to me what that thing is doing   
here?!" he demanded. "It almost killed me!!"   
  
"He appeared out of the rift Shampoo and Taydome made   
at the park," Kanna answered. "Deathclaw looks very,   
very mad."   
  
"So where's Shampoo?!" demanded the weapons master.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
"Oh, that's great," Sailor Mars exclaimed, pointing   
toward the main viewscreen. "We traded an army of   
robots for that thing."   
  
The three Sailor Senshi watched as Deathclaw pounded   
the energy shield surrounding the palace with his   
bone fists, his ethereal body seemingly just as solid   
as the crystal that made up the buildings. Below the   
rampaging kami the Fenril robots scattered to preserve   
themselves from danger, but most were smashed from the   
shockwaves reflecting off the shield. The Fenril   
Knights themselves were scattering in all directions,   
and at least one of them vanished into thin air.   
  
"Don't you think we were better off when the robots   
were shooting at us?" wondered Jupiter. "That dragon   
could pound us all night if he wanted to, if he's   
found a host."   
  
"Face it, he wouldn't be hitting us this hard if he   
didn't have one already," Venus pointed out. "I don't   
know why he's after us like this... but the generators   
are being sucked dry. We'll run out in a matter of   
hours than days."   
  
Mars nodded. The Fenril robots were armed with   
gattling cannons, which required bullets, and bullets   
are in short supply on Earth. Assuming they had to   
manufacture the bullets themselves, and considering the   
lack of raw material, Mars hoped the Fenril could not   
keep up a constant attack.   
  
She was only partly right.   
  
What in the world was Ami doing? she wondered.   
  
---   
  
Infirmary, Crystal Palace   
  
"It's all up to you," the priestess of Genbu said,   
folding her arms. "Let down the shield, and let me go,   
or Deathclaw can do it for you."   
  
Ranma watched the exchange curiously, her eyes   
turning from Shizuka to Neo Queen Serenity. There was   
an obvious danger from allowing Shizuka to leave in the   
middle of an attack, as there was no guarantee Shizuka   
would keep her word. On the other hand, she was right   
about Deathclaw; the shockwaves of the ghost dragon   
pummeling the shield could be felt within the palace as   
well as without.   
  
Either way, the martial artist knew she wasn't   
getting out this time.   
  
"Shizuka," the queen said, "if I allow you to leave   
the premises, you must promise not to destroy us in our   
moment of weakness. I know this is much to ask from   
the one you believe is a murderer, but trust begins   
when both sides take the first step together."   
  
"Very well, then," Shizuka answered, a slight hint of   
anxiousness in her voice. "I'll meet you outside the   
gates, if you please."   
  
The queen nodded in understanding. "Please do not   
take long."   
  
Ranma and Shizuka watched as the queen left, shutting   
the door behind her. Instantly Shizuka was on her   
feet, and gathering her scattered equipment, and   
finally slinging the fire buster over her shoulder.   
She turned and grabbed Ranma by the arms, pain betrayed   
in her eyes.   
  
"Ranma, listen to me," she said seriously. "You have   
to stay here, and find a way to beat them. I was going   
to do that myself, but I attract too much attention to   
myself. You don't... just stay as a girl for a while   
longer."   
  
"As if I had a choice," Ranma replied. She did not   
want to think of what the Sailor Senshi would do to her   
if they found out her secret.   
  
Shizuka reached into her pocket, producing a small   
transmitter, and pressed it into the martial artist's   
hand. "Keep this... when you need to make a quick   
getaway, just give it the priority one extraction   
signal, and the Dragonfly will come for you. Don't   
even think of doing it while the shield's up, or the   
Dragonfly'll never make it."   
  
Ranma nodded in understanding. "Look, don't do   
anything crazy, okay? You take care of yourself."   
  
Shizuka offered a quick smile despite herself.   
"Well, you know me... shit happens all the time."   
  
Quickly letting her go, the priestess quickly bolted   
out of the room, leaving Ranma alone to herself.   
  
"'Stay out of trouble' wouldn't have helped," she   
decided, shaking her head. "You're so reckless. Just   
don't die, okay?"   
  
---   
  
Shizuka stepped outside the palace for the first   
time, her sandals clomping against the crystal surface   
that lead from the palace to the gate. Neo Queen   
Serenity stood near the gate, her back turned,   
staring at the rainbow energy rippling around the   
energy shield.   
  
For a moment the priestess thought to annihilate her   
enemy, but Deathclaw was calling. She stared upward,   
and for a second she and Deathclaw stared at each   
other, the one second being the only detectable   
cessation of the attack. She felt the torment of the   
host... Shampoo... her terror... through the ghost   
dragon's pupiless eyes.   
  
Shaking herself out of her reverie, Shizuka made her   
way to the gate, at Neo Queen Serenity's side. "I'm   
ready."   
  
It lasted only for a second, but to Shizuka it lasted   
forever. The moment the shield opened up Deathclaw's   
essence lanced out at Shizuka's heart. She barely   
noticed Shampoo's body drop from the air and land in   
the palace's lawn. She barely noticed Neo Queen   
Serenity's shocked surprise. She barely noticed her   
soul get clawed out of her heart.   
  
Time ceased to matter to Shizuka.   
  
---   
  
"That cannot be!" Neo Queen Serenity gasped. She   
watched as Deathclaw extracted Shizuka's heart crystal,   
and shielded her eyes from the ethereal light.   
  
The heart crystal, jagged as it was, glowed with   
great intensity. As Deathclaw's essence merged with   
the crystal the queen saw it grow slowly, becoming more   
polished and symmetrical. As the last of Deathclaw   
merged with Shizuka's soul the brightness dimmed to   
nothingness, and a curtain of silence fell upon the   
palace.   
  
The entirety of the ghost dragon gone, Shizuka's   
heart crystal returned to its owner, and the priestess   
of Genbu collapsed on the ground.   
  
In all the confusion, the three Sailor Senshi   
appeared around the queen unnoticed.   
  
"What was that?" wondered Venus.   
  
"Why're the shields down?" demanded Mars. "And what   
happened to Deathclaw?"   
  
"There is not much time," Neo Queen Serenity   
interrupted. "Leave these two outside the gate, so we   
may turn the shield on once more."   
  
"Why...?" Jupiter was about to say.   
  
"Trust begins when both sides are willing to take   
the first step together," the queen answered. "Allow   
me to keep this promise."   
  
---   
  
"Cool," Miranda Kusao said, rubbing her eyes to make   
sure she wasn't hallucinating. "The shield's down!"   
  
She stared at the bare wall, running with all her   
speed that her feet would carry her, and leaped.   
  
Only to slam face-first into the energy shield.   
Miranda was thrown back to the ground forcefully, but   
she got up herself despite the pain.   
  
"Dammit," she cursed, slamming her gloved fist on   
the pavement. "So close...!"   
  
---   
  
Pantyhose Taro chuckled to himself as he watched   
Miranda bounce off the shield from the inside of the   
palace walls, folding his arms.   
  
"You foolish Rubber-bitch," he said, "you were always   
too slow to take advantage of opportunities like this."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
When Kodachi and Miranda entered they were carrying   
the unconscious Shizuka and Shampoo in tow on makeshift   
stretchers.   
  
"Shampoo!" Mousse exclaimed.   
  
"Stop yellin'," complained Miranda. "She's out cold,   
and for a good long while, perhaps."   
  
"Well, that accounts for everybody," Ayame decided.   
She glanced toward Kanna. "Except for Pantyhose Taro."   
  
"He's likely within the palace walls," Kanna replied.   
"The prism isn't responding to the recall order...."   
  
"Or he ditched it," the leader pointed out. "Either   
way, he's not coming back."   
  
"You sure this is such a good idea?" asked Shion.   
"I mean, letting him go like that?"   
  
"We'll know for certain soon," replied Ayame. She   
turned toward Miranda. "Miranda, you're going to watch   
him."   
  
The martial artist planted a hand over her chest.   
"Me? You've got to be kidding."   
  
"No, I'm not."   
  
"You're just saying that so you can get rid of me,"   
Miranda persisted. "Ever since you took over you've   
had it out for me, always throwing me with the most   
dangerous guy around. So how do I know you're not   
trying to kill me, too?"   
  
"If I wanted to kill you I could've done it a long   
time ago."   
  
"You can say that all you want, but I'm not dying for   
you."   
  
"This battle goes beyond our petty differences,"   
Ayame assured her. "Right now, I don't give a crap   
about who you were before, because everything's   
different now. I've got no time to dwell on the past   
battles, I've got to look forward to the future   
battles, and so should you."   
  
Groaning, Miranda flexed her right fist. "Fine, I'll   
go...."   
  
"Don't let him know you're trailing him," the leader   
suggested. "Pantyhose Taro is a trained hunter; he can   
outsmart anyone hunting him, I bet."   
  
"What shall we do about them?" Kodachi asked,   
pointing back to Shampoo and Shizuka. "As they are   
those two are completely worthless."   
  
Mousse bent down to Shampoo's level, and checked for   
her pulse. "She's in a coma, I think... can't tell for   
certain. But her skin is cold to the touch."   
  
"She got infused with Deathclaw," Shion replied,   
getting up from his seat to stand over the two girls.   
He pointed toward Shizuka. "Deathclaw is in her now,   
but something's wrong. Before, she said it took her   
only five minutes to take control over the ghost   
dragon, but...."   
  
Mousse reached over Shampoo and checked the other   
girl's pulse. Shizuka's eyes flinched slightly even as   
they remained closed, and she gasped as if in pain.   
  
He looked up toward the mercenary. "Get Master   
Higure... he'll know."   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
"If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would not   
have believed it," Neo Queen Serenity shared to the   
three Sailor Senshi. "That girl possesses a pure   
heart crystal."   
  
"Are you sure it's not a trick?" asked Jupiter. "I   
mean, how can these bad guys be as good as we are?"   
  
"I'm not surprised," Sailor Mars replied. "It's   
possible that we missed something completely obvious."   
  
"Why do you say that?" asked Venus.   
  
"The girl we captured... Shizuka... she has a good   
heart," the soldier of fire explained. "These people   
are no different than the Black Moon Family. They're   
not fighting because they want to hurt the Earth, they   
want to protect it. Their views conflict with our own,   
and they're fighting because we're the ones who don't   
want to understand."   
  
"How can that be?" asked the queen.   
  
"I don't know, but I've been thinking... ever since   
we've started fighting them the Fenril Knights have   
taken objection to being called that." She looked   
toward both Jupiter and Venus, both giving a nod.   
"Your Highness, we weren't going to bring this up until   
we knew for certain, but...." Mars struggled to find   
the right words.   
  
"Death Phantom left the Nemesian histories behind for   
us to find... on purpose," Neo Queen Serenity realized.   
"He knew we would learn of the old Nemesian   
civilization and of their seventeen champions, then   
chose seventeen people to match that description   
precisely. In effect, he tricked us into branding them   
enemies automatically."   
  
"He probably tricked them, too," Jupiter added. "I   
don't think they really have any idea why they're   
fighting in the first place."   
  
"So they just think they're fighting for a greater   
cause?" wondered Venus. She shook her head. "That's   
not it; they really do know what they're after, but   
it's not something Death Phantom should be after,   
either."   
  
"Shouldn't we ask Ami about this?" asked Mars.   
  
"No," replied the queen. "Tonight, I want all three   
of you to be on watch. There is something I must do   
tonight."   
  
"Do what?"   
  
"I agreed to meet with Death Phantom in the Crystal   
Garden, and for that, we must have the energy shield   
down."   
  
---   
  
Although there was very few people wandering the   
halls of the palace Pantyhose Taro found it necessary   
to hide himself from view.   
  
Now that he was inside, Taro had a time limit on   
taking out Neo Queen Serenity, realizing the Sailor   
Senshi could find him at any moment, if they even   
suspected he was in the palace at all. Not only that,   
but his former allies had time on their side as well,   
for, with their ghost dragon and robots on their side,   
they could bring down the energy shield in no time   
flat.   
  
But none of them would get in the way of the queen,   
he vowed. No one would get a shot at the queen of   
Earth except Pantyhose Taro.   
  
---   
  
Crystal Garden, Crystal Palace   
  
It was difficult to persuade the three Sailor Senshi   
to remain away from the interior garden of the palace,   
but Neo Queen Serenity knew that if Death Phantom   
was risking everything to enter the enemy's home by   
himself, she had to repay it in kind.   
  
She wandered the garden, styled after a traditional   
Japanese garden, designed to calm the mind and   
encourage thought. Serenity stared into the pond,   
where the koi swam about in one way or another,   
seemingly oblivious to the chaos engulfing the city   
around them.   
  
It did not take long for her to feel the wave of   
oppression, as Death Phantom's cowled face appeared in   
the reflection of the pond.   
  
"Death Phantom," she whispered calmly.   
  
"I see you have come, alone," the last Child of   
Chaos said flatly. "Excellent...."   
  
---   
  
The old man?! Taro shouted mentally from his hiding   
place, spying on both Neo Queen Serenity and Wiseman   
from the bushes. What was he doing here?   
  
He strained his ears to listen.   
  
---   
  
"Why have you come here?" asked the queen.   
  
"I believe you know the answer to that," Wiseman   
replied, levitating in a seated position, his crystal   
ball resting in his lap. "You want to ask me of your   
burning questions about the Fenril Knights."   
  
"Yet you were the one who called this meeting," Neo   
Queen Serenity pointed out.   
  
"Yet your curiosity is overwhelming. You wonder why   
your sworn enemy has chosen to risk himself by coming   
in the middle of the one place he risks destruction.   
You may be surprised to learn that it no longer   
concerns this shell."   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"Understand this, Serenity," Wiseman said, raising   
his voice an octave. "This body has been in constant   
exposure to the Black Crystal for far longer than any   
other human. In result, it has been bombarded by its   
magical energies the longest. Consider it a form of   
radiation. What this radiation does, however, is   
accelerate the projected evolutionary path of humanity,   
and therefore, I am the pinnacle of human evolution."   
  
"A skeleton?" the queen said in disbelief. She shook   
her head. "I cannot believe such a thing."   
  
"This shell you see before you is merely that: a   
shell, a discarded body of bleached bone that should   
have been lain to rest long ago."   
  
As to make his point clear Wiseman's robe collapsed   
over his skeletal body, crashing to the ground dead   
and lifeless. Neo Queen Serenity gasped in surprise,   
even when she knew Death Phantom was an energy being,   
but was surprised to see that the crystal ball alone   
remained levitating in the air. The image of a skull   
appeared within its swirling contents.   
  
"I understand," she said, her eyes drifting to   
the useless bones and rust cloak at her feet. "The   
final evolutionary path is a being of pure energy. It   
is no wonder it is the preferred form of you and your   
dark brethren."   
  
"A psychic entity of purely mental power," Wiseman   
agreed, the crystal ball glowing with each word. "I   
require nothing of the flesh, nor of any bodily   
function. Everything occurs to my will, to my thought,   
and to my mind."   
  
"And that is why we could not destroy you?" she   
asked. "Your energy form was not destroyed by the   
Silver Crystal's attack, but your physical form was."   
  
"And since my physical form was psychically linked to   
this being," the old man added, "you have severely   
affected me as well. It took much time in a timeless   
space to recover."   
  
"But I do not understand... what does this have to do   
with anything?"   
  
"Unlike many other brands of Silence you were   
threatened with in the past," Wiseman explained, "I   
intended to use the Black Crystal to accomplish my   
goal. Do you not understand what I wish to grant this   
younger race?"   
  
The queen lowered her head in consideration, then the   
thought came to her. "The Black Crystal's dark energy   
would have forced the evolution of Earth's population,   
under your conjecture. In effect you are Silencing   
the world by discarding the physical matter."   
  
"I pondered over the subject for a long time," the   
old wizard continued, "in a place beyond the reach of   
time, and it was there I determined that Earth was to   
take a special role in the cosmos. The Black Crystal   
had already demonstrated what lay in store for   
humanity."   
  
"But it is an artifact of evil energy," Serenity   
pointed out. "Why would it grant such a special boon?   
As an artifact of evil it could have granted you your   
evolution for the sole purpose of Silencing Earth."   
  
"I master the Black Crystal, not the other way   
around," Wiseman snapped angrily. "Such as you master   
your Silver Crystal... or do you infer that it does   
indeed control you?"   
  
Wisely, Neo Queen Serenity kept her mouth shut over   
that issue. "What need is there to force the human   
evolution? What right have you to do such a thing?"   
  
"The current fate humanity has been set toward is   
paving a road toward disaster; it is the road you   
pave."   
  
"I did nothing but fulfill the betterment of the   
human race!" she objected. "No one suffers any longer,   
nor is there reason for conflict."   
  
The crystal ball dimmed in intensity. "Earth is   
destined for conflict; it is there humanity thrives."   
  
"War?" the queen realized. "Is that the fate Earth   
has in store for it?"   
  
"Not the whole, but you are denying that part."   
  
"Too many bad things happen because of war."   
  
"There are some in the universe who are unwilling to   
settle differences with talks. It is no use to set   
all your bets in the hands of a few warriors-- your   
Sailor Senshi. The era of the Sailor Wars is over; it   
is irresponsible to deny this young race the ability to   
use force of arms. This world may be at peace, but   
it is that from beyond the stars which may be your   
undoing. Your Sailors Uranus and Neptune know that   
all too well."   
  
This caught Serenity's attention in full. "What did   
you do to them?"   
  
"They are on the way to Earth, but I had two of my   
followers intercept them before they could enter this   
galaxy," Wiseman explained. "You see, the longer we   
delay their arrival, the more time Earth has to prepare   
for the inevitable invasion."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"The invaders know of the state you left Earth in,"   
he answered calmly. "At this point in time they have   
no reason to believe that Earth is a major threat, and   
thus they are taking their time in arrival. But, if   
they somehow know that we are preparing for their   
arrival...."   
  
"Who are they?"   
  
"When you collapsed the void between planes," Wiseman   
explained, "you generated a shockwave detected in the   
undercurrents of the universe. In attempting to   
destroy the mechanical plague that threatened this   
planet a thousand years before, you effectively put   
Earth right in their hands."   
  
Serenity's eyes sunk. "The Mekani planned to do that   
from the start, and we fell for it."   
  
"The Mekani scouts trapped on this world had no means   
to communicate with the rest of their Hive Entire,   
since they were stranded on this planet thousands of   
years ago through the efforts of both man and kami.   
The shockwave was meant to attract their brethren   
to this world and finish their mission: plunder,   
multiply, perfect, and survive."   
  
Neo Queen Serenity nodded, understanding the Mekani   
mission well. The mechanical plague, an apt name, had   
its sole purpose in the race's survival. In their   
grand plan they would travel from world to world, wipe   
out the planet's population, and plunder its natural   
resources, leaving the world a barren satellite. The   
locust-like metal monsters would move on to the next,   
adapting to their new surroundings every step of the   
way, until their never-ending goal was accomplished,   
all the while becoming more perfect and more dangerous   
to the next world. It was a fate worse than death.   
  
In effect, the battle a thousand years ago against   
the stranded advance party was a lose-lose war, and   
humanity was the loser.   
  
"The purpose of the Fenril Knights was to instill   
the fighting instinct in humanity," she realized. "You   
want them back the way they were before my ascension."   
  
"The solution to your present situation is clear,"   
Wiseman declared. "They cannot be stopped."   
  
"Why? The wars are over; it is pointless to continue   
this fight. If the Mekani are coming as you say, then   
that is all the more reason to stop! If we put our   
faith in the Silver Crystal, surely it will protect us   
from the enemy."   
  
"Ah, but how do you intend on destroying an enemy   
that is aligned neither to the light nor the darkness?"   
asked Wiseman, seemingly amused by the situation. "Had   
I the means to wipe out the invasion hive I could have   
done so on my own with the Black Crystal."   
  
"How do you know if your Black Crystal has no   
energy in it?" asked Neo Queen Serenity.   
  
"So... you are aware of my weakness."   
  
"Even though you have captured my city you cannot   
harness the heart crystals under your power directly.   
They are protected by the power of my crystal."   
  
"Ah yes, your Silver Crystal. Do you expect to   
defeat the Mekani with it? How much of your precious   
energy are you willing to throw away annihilating a   
harvesting force?"   
  
"You're afraid of them," the queen realized. "You   
cannot defeat them yourself, and now you are asking me   
to destroy them for you?" She shook her head. "Is   
that your game?"   
  
"It seems you're getting too smart for your own   
good," the old man noted.   
  
"We fought so hard to make sure there would not be   
any reason to fight!" she cried. "Humanity should   
not have to know the horrors of battle, or of   
disease, hunger, death, or hate. We have done so much   
for them, and I cannot simply take it all away!"   
  
"And you would corrupt the Purity of this younger   
race with your own ideal," Wiseman countered.   
  
"There can be no room for your evil where love and   
justice prevail," the queen declared. "Humanity is   
Pure in its present state of peace and harmony. You   
and your dark brethren are not welcome in this   
universe."   
  
"I see," Wiseman said. "Then there is nothing more   
to say."   
  
"Perhaps," he added, the skull within the crystal   
turning away, "if you became as old as I, then you   
would understand these short-term trivialities are   
pointless to an immortal."   
  
The queen's face washed over with confusion, and   
the skull seemed to chuckle at the ironic remark.   
  
Slowly, the discarded cape and bones reemerged from   
the floor, resuming its former shape of the old man.   
"Or perhaps you need a little encouragement," he   
suggested cryptically, vanishing into the darkness.   
  
Neo Queen Serenity had little time to sigh when she   
felt another behind her.   
  
Screaming a war cry, Pantyhose Taro leaped from his   
hiding place, intent on destroying the queen of Earth.   
  
---   
  
Miranda Kusao paused to consider her situation as she   
watched Neo Queen Serenity try to flee her attacker,   
making no move to fight back. She dodged each blow   
with great dexterity, and the martial artist had to   
admire her tenacity despite her pacifistic view.   
  
She had absolutely no trouble getting into the palace   
walls this time; a good stone throw was good enough to   
show her that the shield was indeed down. Certainly,   
the internal security beefed up the guards, but guards   
were no match for the high-tier martial artist. She   
knew well enough that the clock was running; the guards   
would be on to her at any minute, looking for her.   
  
The problem presented before her, however, was an   
interesting dilemma. She heard every word Neo Queen   
Serenity and Wiseman said, and had a considerably small   
amount of time to digest it. Now the key to the future   
was at Pantyhose Taro's mercy, because she refused to   
instigate battle any longer.   
  
On the one hand, Miranda could allow Taro to   
eliminate the queen, and allow Ayame to set up her own   
world order. After all, being called 'evil' wasn't   
exactly a flattering comment on her person. And of   
course she was the one who mercilessly slaughtered   
millions of 'evils' to build her glass planet.   
  
On the other hand, Wiseman did say that it was Neo   
Queen Serenity's path to guide humanity's future   
toward the vision Ayame shared... even if he was only   
goading her toward it at the time. The old man was   
practically asking for her help, in his own way, of   
course. And she didn't really like Pantyhose   
Bastard at all.   
  
She clenched her fists together, unsure as to which   
side she should be picking.   
  
---   
  
"Why are you doing this?!" Neo Queen Serenity   
shrieked, feeling that she was running out of running   
room.   
  
The Fenril Knight threw more punches as he went. "I   
seem to recall that you're the one responsible for   
sending certain people to Nemesis!" he hissed. "You   
know, people you didn't like?"   
  
She fell down, tripping on her own feet, and the   
enemy martial artist was on top of her. "You see, I   
did some checking of the records... there was one   
person I was particularly interested in seeing again.   
You know... the one person that could change my name,   
by law of my people... Happosai!"   
  
The name did not ring any bells for the queen.   
  
"Old lecher, tough martial artist, certainly," he   
conceded. "But he named me, he gave me my name... and   
he was the only one who could change my name. And you   
removed him from Earth, banishing him to Nemesis, where   
he would grow old, die, and leave me to my fate."   
  
"No..." the queen uttered, closing her eyes in fear.   
  
Raising a fist high, he cried, "You sealed your   
fate when you sealed mine!!"   
  
Queen Serenity heard a high-pitched whine, and opened   
her eyes a crack to see that her attacker's arm had   
been cut, and he was stepping back in pain.   
  
"Pantyhose Taro," a new voice shouted, "it's time to   
die, traitor."   
  
---   
  
Miranda leaped into action, throwing more of her ki   
discs and forcing Taro farther and farther away from   
Neo Queen Serenity. Standing with her back toward the   
world monarch she decided to protect, she risked a   
quick glance over her shoulder. "Your Highness, please   
take cover! I'll take care of him!"   
  
"Oh, which of us is the traitor?" Taro taunted,   
raising his arm back in the air, seemingly ignoring the   
pain. "You threw your lot with the Sailor Senshi!"   
  
"You heard as much as I, I wager," Miranda shouted   
back. "How could you... how could you choose the wrong   
path?"   
  
"You hate her just as much as I!!"   
  
The martial artist shook her head. "No, she's not my   
enemy. She was never my enemy. She, at least, is   
trying to do right. Heartless bastards like you, on   
the other hand, ARE my enemy!!"   
  
"Feh," Taro snorted. "So the rebel needs a cause?   
You'll regret that mistake!"   
  
Both warriors charged, Taro throwing fists that   
Miranda dodged, and Miranda throwing kicks which Taro   
dodged, neither gaining a significant advantage. She   
wheeled around quickly and slashed the air like a saw,   
but Taro leaped over the attack. Miranda threw   
herself into a back flip, throwing up her legs and   
creating a vacuum slice that grazed her opponent's   
other arm.   
  
But Taro hardly let that bother him, as he quickly   
reached out and grabbed Miranda's legs before she could   
finish her flip. He threw her over his shoulder,   
slamming her into the nearby pond and sending the koi   
flying. Pulling herself back up quickly Miranda   
threw several more energy discs, but Taro avoided them   
with ease. She kicked one koi flopping near her foot   
in frustration.   
  
"Coward!" Miranda cried. "Why don't you stand and   
fight?!"   
  
"Don't you ever believe you can beat a first-rate   
martial artist with second-rate skill!" Taro laughed.   
"You're no match for me!"   
  
"Try me!!" she shouted.   
  
Full of anger Miranda charged, throwing several spin   
kicks in rapid succession, forcing Taro to block them   
all. Taro continued to laugh, shrugging off each   
attack as if it was nothing. He caught her leg in the   
last attack, and Miranda realized she was in trouble.   
Swinging both her arms back she formed two more ki   
discs and swiped them at Taro, but he pushed her back   
at the last moment.   
  
Collapsing on the ground, flipped onto her stomach,   
Miranda stared at Taro's shoes. He kicked her once in   
the face, nearly blacking her out, and rolled her over   
on his foot.   
  
He bent low enough down to her that she could smell   
his breath. "Now, Rubber-bitch, it ends!" He raised   
his right fist, and spread it open to expose the palm.   
  
And the black Deathbuster star hidden beneath.   
  
"Go to Hell, Pantyhose Bastard," she hissed, spitting   
in his face, realizing it was all over.   
  
Ayame, I'm not dying for you, Miranda thought. I'm   
dying for planet Earth.   
  
Miranda let out a scream as black lightning arced   
from Taro's palm to her chest. She fought with all the   
energy she could, but the augmented black energy could   
not be denied, and Miranda saw her heart crystal being   
extracted.   
  
It's... it's... pretty.... she thought over the   
agonizing pain. The light of her own crystal twinkled   
against the night, but soon darkness engulfed it as it   
was drawn into the Deathbuster star.   
  
Collapsing to the ground limply Miranda felt spasms   
overcome her entire body, and it was all she could do   
to hang on to the last ebbs of life. She barely felt   
Taro disappear from sight, but soon another took his   
place.   
  
Neo Queen Serenity.   
  
"S... s..top... h..him...." she pleaded, her voice   
cracking under tears. "Sto...p... him...."   
  
---   
  
She cradled the Fenril's head in her lap for what   
seemed like an eternity, watching as the girl's life   
left her eyes. The nameless girl twitched and spasm   
no more as her body died without the soul that   
sustained it, leaving a second heartless corpse in the   
hands of the Sailor Senshi.   
  
Tears streamed down her cheek as Neo Queen Serenity   
lowered her head. "It... it... is not... right...."   
  
Setting down the girl's head gently, the queen stood   
up, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Stop   
him," the girl had said, a plea from one who was an   
enemy only moments before.   
  
"A good, pure heart," she whispered. "Shizuka was   
the first, you were the second... but neither of you   
are the last.... No more good people should have to   
sacrifice themselves because of what I did... no   
more...."   
  
She cast her eyes in the direction Pantyhose Taro   
fled, a new sense and determination in her eyes.   
Raising her hand in the air, she shouted, "Moon   
Eternal, Make-Up!!"   
  
---   
  
"It is of no consequence," Wiseman decided, watching   
the events unfold in his crystal ball. "Each event can   
only work toward fulfilling my ultimate goal."   
  
"Perhaps history is not doomed to repeat itself."   
  
---   
  
Taro pushed his way through the halls, knocking over   
all the guards as he went. If Miranda was sent after   
him, there was a good chance that Ayame was on to him   
now. No matter, there was nobody on this planet that   
could beat him!   
  
Producing the prism shard given to him by Wiseman   
long ago, Taro hurled it into a wall as he passed,   
cracking the smooth crystal surface.   
  
He made his way outside, congratulating himself that   
he had not met any of the Sailor Senshi on his way   
out. The wall was just there....   
  
Vaulting over the wall, Taro congratulated himself   
as the energy field was not there to stop him. He   
broke off into a faster sprint through the streets.   
  
"Hold it right there!"   
  
For reasons beyond explanation Taro did so, as the   
voice seemed to hold command over him. His eyes darted   
about, searching for the source of the voice. "Who's   
there?!"   
  
Looking up, he spotted a silhouette against the   
light of the moon. A Sailor Senshi.   
  
But it was not just any Sailor Senshi, it was the   
legendary Eternal Sailor Moon.   
  
"Stealing the pure heart crystal of one of your own   
allies, it's unthinkable! I stand for love and   
justice!"   
  
Taro's eyes narrowed. "'Love?' 'Justice?' What   
meaning have those to a sniveling bastard as you?"   
  
"I am Sailor Moon!" she declared. "In the name of   
the Moon, I will punish you!"   
  
Throwing out his right palm black lightning lanced   
out from the Deathbuster star, but Sailor Moon was too   
fast to get hit by such an obvious attack. Grinding   
his teeth angrily, he barked, "Loony Queen! I am more   
than a match for your Sailor Senshi, what makes you   
think you're any stronger?!"   
  
His eyes quickly darted for a moving shadow. "You're   
too weak to defeat a true warrior as me! I know you're   
too caught up in your fantasy world to fight! Give up,   
and maybe I'll consider slaughtering you later!"   
  
"That heart crystal doesn't belong to you!" he heard   
her shout.   
  
Good, he thought, following the path of her voice.   
Keep talking.   
  
"It's not about who's stronger, or who's got more   
skill," Moon continued, "but who has the heart to do   
what is right."   
  
And he caught her in his sight standing on a wall,   
obviously scanning the street for a sign of himself.   
Quickly darting under the cover of the wall Taro   
lunged straight upward with an uppercut, catching the   
girl by surprise and sending her flying.   
  
"Hunter's moon," he scoffed. "You're mine!"   
  
He descended with another punch, but this time Sailor   
Moon rolled away, and Taro smashed in a piece of the   
crystal road. Lurching back, he waved his arm rapidly   
to dull the pain, then launched another wild swing,   
which she dodged easily.   
  
"Excellent," Taro said, "you're getting better!"   
  
She dodged another blow. "Why must we fight? Your   
name doesn't matter! It's who you are!"   
  
"My name is my LIFE!!" he screamed, throwing a quick   
gale punch, sending Sailor Moon flying back far.   
"Don't you DARE ridicule my life!!"   
  
He watched her slowly get up to her feet, and   
raised his right palm. "The time for talk is over;   
I'll finish this just like I finished that wuss   
Kusao!"   
  
Black lightning raced from Taro's palm, eager to   
draw out Sailor Moon's heart crystal, but a white   
shield of protection formed a bubble around her. The   
dark energy attack washed around the bubble harmlessly   
as Sailor Moon gathered her resolve.   
  
"Evil," she muttered. "He's pure evil...." Quietly,   
she slid her rod into her hand.   
  
"Now what?!" Taro yelped, panicked that his star was   
not working.   
  
"Rainbow Moon Heart Ache!"   
  
He wanted to make up an excuse about it, wanted to   
justify it in his mind, but the simple fact was Taro   
was unprepared for the attack, period. The blast came   
much too fast for the martial artist to react, and it   
was all he could do to brace himself for impact.   
  
---   
  
Eternal Sailor Moon sighed wearily, scanning the   
streets for any sign of her opponent's body. Finding   
none, she realized her attack simply wasn't powerful   
enough to knock him out.   
  
"There'll be a next time," she vowed. "I can't sit   
back and watch while my friends fight, and my kingdom   
crumbles around me." She gazed toward the stars.   
"Death Phantom, you won this round, forcing me to fight   
again... but in the end it'll be your undoing."   
  
---   
  
Ranma had no reason to intrude upon the Crystal   
Garden, but if someone stopped her she could always say   
that the commotion caught her curiosity. In fact, that   
would not be far from the truth.   
  
"Damn," she cursed quietly, walking around the prone   
body of Miranda, who looked as if she hadn't suffered   
for too long. It was plain and clear that she was   
dead, and although Ranma had no idea how she got inside   
she realized that it was probably the Sailor Senshi   
who did her in.   
  
No, Miranda wasn't the most approachable person on   
the planet, nor was she the nicest. She was a martial   
artist, pure and simple, driven by nothing but hate and   
revenge-- a focus so pure that it amazed Ranma that she   
could stay mad for such a long time, even over the most   
trivial of disputes. It was a certain tenacity, at   
that. A certain devotion to the art.   
  
Rage controlled so fine that she knew to find   
something worth fighting for.   
  
What she died for was unclear, but Ranma wasted no   
time, searching her body for one object in particular,   
knowing there was not much time left.   
  
She found it hidden on the inside of Miranda's left   
glove. Ranma quickly pulled out the black crystal   
prism, holding it up to the light. Finding no obvious   
imperfections with it she quickly pocketed it in her   
shirt. Looking around to see if anyone was watching,   
and finding nobody, Ranma stole her way back into the   
halls.   
  
Ranma stopped, a glint catching her eyes. She spied   
a second prism, embedded in the wall where the cracks   
were being filled in with the crystal growth. Ranma   
determined it was not too late to remove the extra   
prism, and pried it out before the growth could encase   
it.   
  
"Three," she counted silently. "What's this one   
doing in here, anyway?"   
  
---   
  
Shizuka's Quarters, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ami was glad for the time to sort her thoughts out   
as she sat watch over Shizuka, who was in a trance-like   
sleep state, lying on her bed in her room.   
  
Shion appeared in the rec room to summon Master   
Higure, and Ami and Hokuto both accompanied them to see   
what was up. Needless to say Ami was surprised that   
the priestess managed to get back somehow, but there   
seemed to be cause for concern. While Higure would not   
reveal the exact nature of the state Shizuka was in, he   
assured the others that she was trying to resolve an   
internal conflict.   
  
She volunteered to watch over her, while Mousse   
volunteered to watch over Shampoo, who seemed to be   
afflicted by whatever was affecting Shizuka. Ami felt   
a tug of coldness in her spine when she thought about   
it, but somehow she could not recall where she felt it   
before. It seemed too familiar, and it seemed a voice   
in her head was saying, "You."   
  
Certain no one was listening in, Ami got up from her   
seat and sat down on her knees next to Shizuka's bed.   
The priestess's expression appeared rather serene, but   
every once in a while her eyelids or lips would twitch,   
as if she was having a nightmare.   
  
"I don't know what's wrong with you, or what you're   
thinking about right now," she said, "but one thing I   
know, is that you can't stop fighting." Ami paused,   
finding it somewhat ironic that she was advocating a   
fight, abstract or not. "Don't give up; I'll find a   
way to make certain that you won't have to face any   
more hardships like this in the future...."   
  
Because I'm going to shut this operation down, she   
finished quietly. This conflict has gone on long   
enough, and too many good people are getting hurt over   
it.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"You sure it's such a good idea to let her watch   
Shizuka?" asked Kanna, carrying her dose of pessimism   
like a sledge hammer. I mean, how do we know Shizuka   
didn't turn traitor on us like Pantyhose Taro and Ryoga   
Hibiki did?"   
  
"You'll have to ask her that when she wakes up,"   
Shion shouted over his shoulder from across the bowl,   
sitting back in his seat and flipping through a   
magazine. "That is, IF you think she's not diseased or   
something."   
  
"That's enough," declared Ayame from the center of   
the bowl. She turned her eyes toward Higure, who was   
standing next to her. "So what's the full story?"   
  
The old man nodded. "Yes... well." He coughed.   
"Had the others the ability to understand fully they   
would know that Deathclaw has been separated from his   
host for quite a long time...."   
  
"Estimating a thousand years," Shion agreed.   
  
"Deathclaw was effectively starving to death in his   
dimensional prison, a void where the Kami Plane once   
was. It is entirely possible the monster has gone mad   
from being by itself for so long."   
  
"As if it wasn't mad from being immortal?" Kanna   
jeered, folding her arms.   
  
"Also, Shizuka has not been in contact with her   
symbiote for an extended period of time, and therefore   
the two of them are... how shall I say... fighting each   
other over the last box of Cracker Jacks."   
  
"Swell," Ayame muttered, shaking her head. "So if   
she wakes up Deathclaw might be in charge...."   
  
"That's about the size of it, I guess," Kanna agreed.   
  
"In other words we can't rely on her anymore." The   
leader ran her hands up and down her face, utterly   
tired of all the problems she was dealing with. "I'd   
say this'd be a good time for Shampoo to overthrow me,   
but she's out, too. What happened to her?"   
  
"Apparently Deathclaw severely overpowered her   
psyche when he took her as temporary host," Higure   
explained. "I am uncertain as to how much this affects   
her, but she, too, may not wake up the same. IF she   
wakes up."   
  
"Can't count on her, either," Ayame decided. "And   
Ukyo, Sypha, and Cinder are on Nemesis... Ranma's still   
missing... Ryoga and Taro jumped ship...." She sighed.   
"I'm so running out of people it isn't even funny."   
  
"If you want I'll do field work myself," Kanna   
volunteered, standing up and scooping up her death   
scythe that was lying against the control panel. "I   
haven't been in a decent fight for... well... a good   
thousand years or so."   
  
Shion laughed. "I'll say."   
  
"Actually, you can do better," the leader replied.   
She raised her left wrist and pulled back her coat   
sleeve, checking her watch. "I think I'm going to take   
the next day or two off, so you want to be in charge   
for a while?"   
  
"Only so long as you take the job back later," Kanna   
answered. "I didn't train myself to lead."   
  
"Neither did I," Ayame said, chuckling as she turned   
to leave. "It just happens, and you just learn to deal   
with it."   
  
Silently the three watched as their leader walked   
out the doors, with her hands in her pockets, whistling   
a tune to herself. All three stared at each other for   
a moment, each wondering if Ayame was going to suddenly   
change her mind and come back.   
  
"Well," Kanna said, breaking the silence, "you know   
what this means."   
  
Shion nodded, smiling knowingly. "All expense paid   
employee vacation... for two days!"   
  
"Vacation?" Higure echoed, seemingly out of the loop   
going on between the two. "I thought Ayame left you   
to take care of business."   
  
"She did," the Crystal Spider replied slyly. "And   
now it's my order that each of us take a break. I   
could use a good dip at Atami about now."   
  
"If I can get Ami to take care of the snake for me,   
it's Vegas for me!" Shion declared.   
  
"You sure they still gamble there?" asked Kanna. "I   
thought gambling was illegal."   
  
Higure sighed. "I envy you young ones; you always   
know how to have a good time."   
  
---   
  
Central Park, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Hokuto kept her cloak tight around herself, standing   
alone in the park and staring straight up at the tear   
in the dimensional fabric. Beyond the tear lay inky   
blackness that stretched forever, but that was only to   
the untrained eye; those such as she knew it was the   
shadow stream.   
  
The Mekani void-ripper had long since been removed   
from such an open area, and the technicians did a   
splendid job of cleaning up their mess. It was a   
wonder that the Sailor Senshi did not seal the tear   
while it was left unattended for so long; surely they   
could detect the residual energy emitted by the shadow   
stream.   
  
It was of no consequence to Hokuto, however, as she   
willed the liquid shadow to solidify around the edges   
of the tear, clamping the hole open by sheer will.   
With that business taken care of she concentrated on   
the long shadow she cast, and spread out her arms and   
cloak to make it bigger.   
  
Stretching her thoughts Hokuto willed her shadow to   
elongate, and at the edge a sharp spike of darkness   
emerged. She shaped it with her mind, transforming the   
rigid shape into a lashing tentacle, with a set of   
barbed spikes at its end, and thrashed it around like a   
morning star. Hokuto willed the tentacle's head to   
split in two, creating a double headed weapon, then   
allowed it to sink back into her shadow.   
  
"Yes," she whispered. "The realm of shadow has   
remained untainted in a thousand years. An untapped   
source of power, no one but I, a Shadow Weaver, can   
harness its power."   
  
She walked under the rift, satisfied that it would   
remain open without much effort on her part. On the   
other hand, the Sailor Senshi would have a devil of a   
time trying to pry out the solid shadow cap.   
  
Sinking into her own shadow, Hokuto muttered, "There   
can be no stopping our destinies...."   
  
---   
  
Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, Darkhold   
  
Although the light of the sun was a distant memory   
to the rogue planet known as Nemesis, the local captive   
populace, if they were being forced to stay in Darkhold   
at all, viewed this time of the day as 'night,' as they   
regarded time reckoning on Earth days still.   
  
It seemed a little silly to the okonomiyaki chef that   
the one watching over these people was a simple shop-   
keeper, the only overseer on the planet at all. Many   
people believed, as they came and swapped stories when   
they came into the restaurant, that Black Moon   
renegades living in Darkhold's Palace of Solitude were   
watching their every move, while others thought the   
Fenril Knights were herding them like cattle in the   
city. Former Black Moon people also expressed their   
opinions, such that they saw that, while they regained   
the home of their ancestors, this place was where they   
truly considered home.   
  
In that regard the former Black Moon people were the   
ones who most readily adjusted to their new   
surroundings, and they turned out to be a more   
independent lot than Ukyo thought. One thing was for   
sure, they wouldn't help unless they were asked. Not a   
day passed before maintenance droids stared appearing   
again on the streets of Darkhold, much to the dismay   
and fear of the Crystal Tokyo residents.   
  
Fortunately, no one decided to open a riot session   
for the people, but, on the other hand, Ukyo had no   
idea what she was supposed to be doing.   
  
She considered contacting former Black Moon warriors,   
to recruit them to her watch, but thought better of it,   
realizing they willingly surrendered to Neo Queen   
Serenity. While they were indeed a people apart from   
humanity, none appeared to have the inclination to   
change anything. It was if someone sucked all their   
reputed zeal out of their bodies, and they were but a   
cinder of their previous flame.   
  
Cinder, she thought. Both he and Sypha were supposed   
to be fighting two outer-planet Sailor Senshi, but   
neither of them took the time to step into her   
restaurant, even for a social call. Neither warrior   
she had heard from for a long time, and while she   
hardly missed them Ukyo preferred to know what they   
were up to while they were within her territory.   
  
She produced her prism, and considered taking a trip   
down to Wiseman's hidden citadel, but thought better of   
it, as there was the off chance that she would share   
company with that dried-up old man.   
  
"Ukyo," she heard Konatsu say from the back room.   
"What should I do with these boxes?"   
  
The okonomiyaki chef laughed to herself, remembering   
that there was no real source of food on the planet,   
and yet, she was getting supplies in regular shipments   
from Earth. It was a good thing nobody figured out her   
'trade secret' yet, but the people were too distracted   
with eating real food rather than living off the weird   
water.   
  
On the other hand, Cologne was getting suspicious.   
It was likely time to come up with a cover story.   
  
"Just leave it there, I'll take care of it later,"   
Ukyo replied.   
  
Well, she decided, even if business was limited   
to a city, a monopoly on the food couldn't possibly   
hurt the restaurant's killer income.   
  
---   
  
Observatory, Palace of Solitude   
  
If one stared into the night sky of Nemesis, be it on   
the dark side, or the slightly brighter sunny side,   
there was no mistake that a set of four comet-like   
objects were circling each other. Two of those comets   
were a distinct blood-red, similar to fireballs, while   
the other two were more whiter: one with a bluish hue,   
another with a greenish-hue.   
  
However, had any of the residents of Nemesis cared to   
view them in a telescope, they would have seen that   
it was four warriors fighting in the airless sea of   
space, each shrouded by a globe of shimmering energy.   
  
The fireball that was Cinder, engulfed in magical   
flame, rocketed and bounced off Sailor Uranus's energy   
field like a Ping-Pong ball, but always having enough   
power to rocket back for another pass. Steel clashed   
against steel quickly, as the fire master Cinder's   
steel claws clashed against Uranus's sword, neither   
gaining an apparent advantage over the other despite   
the dance Cinder was forced to undertake.   
  
Sypha, the second fireball, on the other hand, seemed   
to be having no such trouble with her nemesis, Sailor   
Neptune, as she forced her to defend against her   
instead. In an almost stationary position the black   
sorcerer lobbed black energy bolts against Neptune, and   
it was all she could do to either dodge or reflect the   
incoming attacks, as Sypha was offering no openings.   
Holding her crystal dragon pearl in her left claw she   
slung magical bolts with her right effortlessly, and   
each bolt in turn split into five different directions   
as they reached a point beyond the origin.   
  
It was an even battle, one whose outcome was   
entirely uncertain, but to Wiseman, it served as the   
greatest diversion of all.   
  
---   
  
Nemesis Space, Near Nemesis   
  
"Whoever they are," Uranus muttered, just as her   
fireball opponent rocketed away for another angled   
pass, "they're good!"   
  
Neptune agreed. "Who would've thought that the enemy   
made it to this system before we did?" she said, her   
voice carrying to Uranus's energy field in an instant.   
"They couldn't have gotten here this fast."   
  
"There's something wrong," the other decided. "These   
machines are too good, but they're attacking in the   
exact same pattern: relentless hits. It's almost as if   
they're trying to keep us here."   
  
"Nemesis is down below," Neptune pointed out, dodging   
another dark energy blast. "If I'm not mistaken, there   
are lights on down there."   
  
Uranus risked a glance down at the black planet,   
which, by every right, should have been abandoned and   
lifeless. Yet, as Neptune said, lights were visible   
from one of the cities, and if she remembered correctly   
it was the capitol city.   
  
"Droids," she hissed, anger rising. "Queen Serenity   
couldn't subdue them all."   
  
"How can that be possible?" wondered Neptune. "I   
thought the invasion was thwarted."   
  
"If we'd been here, it would've!" Uranus deflected   
another blow from her enemy's steel claws. "If these   
are the kind of guys Crystal Tokyo had to face, no   
wonder it nearly fell!"   
  
---   
  
Throughout the many centuries of living on Earth,   
Sypha found it far worth the effort to learn how to   
read lips. As her black magic was affording her much   
time to take such observations the sorcerer picked up   
on much of what Sailor Neptune was saying.   
  
The implications were obvious: they had no idea who   
consisted the population of Darkhold at the moment.   
Not only that, but Neptune hinted that they believe the   
Black Moon was still active. Excellent.   
  
It wasn't enough for the two of them to conceal their   
true power and capabilities to their enemies, they had   
to thoroughly humiliate the two girls in the process   
of achieving their objectives.   
  
Already her ancient mind began formulating a plan,   
and Sypha knew it would be one the two Sailor Senshi   
would regret dearly.   
  
---   
  
Outskirts, Crystal Tokyo   
  
The word 'fugitive' was the last thing on his mind as   
Pantyhose Taro limped his way out of Crystal Tokyo's   
city limits.   
  
He was certain that the rest of the world was aware   
of the trouble going on in their world capitol, but it   
seemed strange to the martial artist that no one made a  
genuine effort to do something about it. Taro spied   
trailers in the horizon on the road, taking up what   
little space there was on the highway out. He had no   
doubt it was made up primarily of news crews and people   
who had nothing better to do than throw themselves in   
the way of danger.   
  
Taro hated those people equally.   
  
Realizing he would have to take the long way around   
them Taro walked to the edge of the highway and took to   
the wilderness, untainted in its greenery by the   
crystal sheen dominating the highway. He supported his   
aching right arm carefully, even though it was held in   
a makeshift sling out of pantyhose. Taro stared down   
at the Deathbuster star in his palm, seeing it continue   
to crackle with black electricity like a broken   
machine.   
  
In a sense, the star was a broken machine. Ever   
since Neo Queen Serenity, in her Sailor Senshi guise,   
blasted him with the enormous attack, the dark star was   
having trouble actually working. Had he the   
inclination to produce Miranda's heart crystal Taro   
did not have the means to draw it out. He felt it was   
still there, but the star would not respond to his   
mental command.   
  
Worst of all, he couldn't peel it off, and in result   
the excess sparking energy was numbing his hand,   
compounding on the pain the damn thing was sending up   
his arm. He wished his whole arm was numb, but   
cutting the circulation hardly helped at all.   
  
"All I need is a good place to hide out and rest for   
a while," he decided. Taro did not know how, but he   
knew the arm, and the star, would heal itself in time.   
  
A little time is all I need, and I'm coming back for   
you, Sailor Moon, he vowed in his mind.   
  
---   
  
Shampoo's Quarters, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Waiting ate inside Mousse, and sleep would not come   
to him as he sat on a bar stool, squatting, at the end   
of Shampoo's bed, like an owl watching its prey. No   
position seemed comfortable to him, so the weapons   
master decided that it was better to remain in one   
uncomfortable position rather than try to stay in   
several, one after another.   
  
Shampoo had not tossed, nor turned, while in bed,   
and, other than the fact that she was breathing, anyone   
observing her would think she was dead. Mousse had no   
idea what was running through her mind at the moment,   
or if people in such unconsciousness thought that   
actively.   
  
But his patience paid off, and Mousse had to rub his   
eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Shampoo's   
eyes burst open suddenly, as if waking from a   
nightmare, but she did not sit up in what usually   
followed such an awakening.   
  
In fact, she seemed perfectly calm despite her   
startled expression.   
  
"Shampoo!" he exclaimed joyously.   
  
He suddenly wished he kept his mouth shut, as the   
Amazon was instantly at his throat. She squeezed with   
one hand tightly, and Mousse struggled to catch a   
single breath.   
  
"Where are they?" she demanded in a low, vicious   
tone.   
  
"W... who?" Mousse managed to ask.   
  
"The ones who imprisoned me in the space of eternal   
nothingness," she replied cryptically. Her eyes seemed   
to glow faintly, but Mousse attributed it to the dim   
lighting. "I want the one they call Sailor Moon."   
  
Sailor Moon? Mousse thought. The name rang a bell,   
but the lack of oxygen was finally overcoming him.   
Frantically, he pointed toward his neck, trying to get   
Shampoo to understand what he was requesting.   
  
It seemed to work, and the Master of Hidden Weapons   
was on the floor, rubbing his neck, breathing heavily,   
trying to circulate the oxygen into his head. He   
barely felt Shampoo tap her foot expectantly, and   
Mousse knew it was no use to make her wait.   
  
"I thought Sailor Moon was a legend..." he began.   
  
"Oh, no, she's quite real," Shampoo corrected.   
  
"Right," he said, nodding. "She disappeared into   
the urban legends, as they say. People also say she   
will appear in Earth's hour of need...."   
  
"That time would be about now," the Amazon decided.   
"Then my revenge will be swift."   
  
"Shampoo," he dared to ask, "what's wrong with you?"   
  
He felt her foot in his face, and knew that Shampoo   
would never be the same after sharing a body with the   
ghost dragon. Mousse stared upward at the ceiling,   
and Shampoo stared down at him evilly.   
  
"Your concern is touching," she said sarcastically,   
"but it's useless. Deathclaw has opened my eyes, dear   
Mousse, and her heinous actions will not go   
unpunished! It will all begin, and end, with Death!"   
  
---   
  
Shizuka's Quarters, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ami was stirred awake when Shizuka cried out   
suddenly.   
  
She made her way to the unconscious priestess's side,   
and found that she was back in her slumber. Except   
this time, the girl's expression was that of fear,   
worry....   
  
And pain.   
  
"What's going on?" she asked, although Ami hardly   
expected an answer out of the priestess. "Shizuka,   
please... you've got to let me help you."   
  
---   
  
She had no idea when it happened, but Ami realized   
she was asleep.   
  
No longer sitting in Shizuka's uncomfortable room   
Ami stood within a vast plane of clear crystal,   
stretching on to an infinite distance and disappearing   
in the horizon. No features distinguished the land for   
all the eye could see....   
  
Save one. A black monolith, seemingly made out of   
the same crystal, burst through the ground before her,   
and Ami cried out in surprise. The dark sheen with   
violet highlights reminded her of the blackness of   
Death Phantom's Black Crystal, and just as the   
comparison finished more crystal monoliths burst from   
the ground around the first.   
  
In the end it appeared to be half of the Black   
Crystal, with the other half apparently on the other   
side of the crystal floor. Black lightning crackled   
between each dark spire, flowing with great energy.   
  
"Isn't it pretty?"   
  
Ami turned to her right, and saw Shizuka there,   
standing with her right hand over her heart, staring up   
at the Black Crystal in a longing awe.   
  
Intuition told her this was not just a dream. "What   
are you doing here?"   
  
"Look at that, Mizuno," Shizuka directed, obviously   
meaning the Black Crystal. "The heart of the people,   
stuck between two worlds... the one we stand in, graced   
in light, and the one on the other side, graced in   
darkness. It's trying to become part of one: the light   
we stand in. I belong to the other."   
  
"You're wrong," Ami countered. "No human being by   
their very nature are aligned to the dark."   
  
The priestess laughed, and despite the lack of   
walls it echoed and reverberated throughout the entire   
world. She turned to face Ami, a twinge of amusement   
in her expression. "Is that what you want to believe?"   
she asked. "Do you think humanity is so innocent? Or   
do you think," and to Ami's surprise, a deep, masculine   
voice added to Shizuka's, "it is exempt from   
responsibility?"   
  
The girl's eyes flared for a second, and Ami took an   
involuntary step back. She knew the second voice well   
enough, and Ami wished she never heard it again.   
"Deathclaw!"   
  
"Why do you persist in your little game?" both voices   
asked at once, each using the same mouth to speak.   
"You've wasted your time, Sailor Mercury. Give up and   
go home, then tell your master that justice is not the   
only right in the world!"   
  
---   
  
The Next Day   
  
Ami burst awake sweating, and realized that there was   
someone at the door.   
  
"Gee, sorry," Shion apologized. "Didn't think you'd   
be still asleep."   
  
She sat up in her chair, and turned toward the   
mercenary hacker. His reasoning seemed peculiar on   
its own. "Shion? What're you doing here?"   
  
His answer came in the form of the serpentine   
creature in his arms. "I need you to look after   
Thanatos for a while, okay? I've got little time to   
look after him, so while you're doing nothing I thought   
you could."   
  
Doing nothing, huh? "I'll be glad to."   
  
Satisfied, Shion lowered himself and dropped the boa   
constrictor of Shizuka's down on the floor, and the   
snake slithered the rest of the way inside.   
  
"Um, isn't there a pen for him?" asked Ami.   
  
Shion shook his head. "Nah, Shizuka doesn't keep her   
partners in cages, but you might want this." He   
reached down to the ground outside the room, and held   
a small cage out for Ami to see. Two small, white mice   
scurried about in the cage, desperate to be free.   
"You see, she thinks it's good that her partner keeps   
hunting for food rather than be spoon fed, so when he   
gets hungry let these guys loose."   
  
"How will I know?"   
  
"When he tries to open the cage himself, I guess,"   
answered the mercenary, shrugging. "Thanks again!"   
  
Leaving the cage by the door Shion left, and Ami   
looked down at the snake with worried eyes. Thanatos   
craned his head up toward her, and flicked his tongue   
quickly.   
  
"Well... nice to meet you, too," she said.   
  
She sighed, wondering how much more she could deal   
with before she really lost it. Pushing the snake   
matter out of her head, Ami thought back to her   
dream the previous night, and realized something   
important.   
  
Shizuka called me 'Sailor Mercury,' she thought, the   
implications dawning upon her. Time's running out.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Higure stepped into the command bowl, his sandals   
making little noise against the steel grate stairs,   
arms folded with his attention on Shion, who stood over   
his usual seat, busy typing.   
  
"I see you left some last-minute business," the old   
man said.   
  
"Yeah," Shion answered, unable to tear his eyes from   
the monitor. "Just filling in a last-minute request by   
Ukyo... just sending a transport tube up to her. She   
says people are getting suspicious as to how she gets   
her goods, so I'm giving her an illegal tube."   
  
"Do you truly believe that a wise decision?"   
  
"That's not my problem," the mercenary replied. "I   
only make things happen, not carry them out. It's not   
like she's the one getting all the droids we've been   
making the past few days. At least this way it's   
plausible."   
  
Punching in one final key, Shion stood up, and wiped   
his brow, satisfied at his work. "That should take   
care of it; the beam should be warmed up by now." He   
turned toward the old man. "Anything you want while   
I'm in Vegas?"   
  
Higure shook his head. "Unlike you or your friends I   
no longer have the inclination to collect personal   
items. More often than not they break, and then you   
agonize on how to fix them. Only problem is, it was a   
thousand years since that particular item was first   
created, and nobody knows how to fix it, much less   
create a new one."   
  
"That's why you buy at least three," Shion reasoned.   
"One to use, one for backup, and one to trade away."   
  
"What of the others?"   
  
He shrugged. "I only expect Kodachi to go out and   
party; she can do what she wants, Ayame says. If the   
others think about something, it's up to you, but if it   
gets really hairy give Kanna a ring. I don't want to   
be bothered, and I think Ayame doesn't, either."   
  
---   
  
Nemesis Space, Near Nemesis   
  
These droids are annoying, Uranus decided as her   
opponent continued to rebound off her sword after each   
thrust.   
  
However, a break in the monotony presented itself   
when she spied her fireball enemy rocket in the   
opposite direction, away and toward the other droid.   
Uranus gave chase, wondering if the two droids were   
going to double-team Neptune, for they certainly could   
overwhelm her easily if they really were that powerful.   
  
"Watch it, Neptune," she warned.   
  
But the warning was unnecessary, as the second droid   
was fleeing as well. Both fireballs were headed back   
toward Nemesis.   
  
"They're retreating," Neptune observed, a hint of   
relief in her voice. "Why?"   
  
"Beats me," Uranus replied. "Whatever it is, we   
can't just let them get away!"   
  
She willed her globe to carry her after the two   
retreating droids, traveling just as quick as the two   
were fleeing, maybe even faster. Neptune trailed   
behind, matching a similar pace through the airless   
sea.   
  
She could hear them laughing at her.   
  
"Something's not right," Uranus decided.   
  
Neptune agreed. "There's no reason why they should   
be retreating when they had the advantage...."   
  
That was all that was needed to jinx the situation,   
as both fireballs came to a complete stop. Both Sailor   
Senshi halted as well, maintaining a safe enough   
distance such that they could avoid whatever attack   
they might throw at them.   
  
Both fireballs died down into nothingness, and for   
the first time the two soldiers saw the face of their   
enemies. The first, concealed in midnight robes,   
peered at Uranus with a large, red right eye, which was   
shaped in a circle. Steel claws draped from the   
sleeves of the robe as well as from the bottom; in   
effect, the creature was robotic in form, and likely   
had a good reason for concealing its body from view.   
  
The second, however, appeared more exotic rather than   
mysterious. A tall woman carrying regal airs, the   
second enemy dressed in a long-sleeved red Chinese   
phoenix court dress, heavy, black metal claws hanging   
from the ends. Her long hair, reaching down to her   
feet, were swept up to each side of her head, forming   
two rather large pony-tails, each held by expensive-   
looking Chinese ornaments. Her waist was tied so much   
by a violet sash such that she appeared quite   
serpentine in her dress.   
  
Both were laughing; the first in a deep, cavernous,   
slightly metallic voice, and the second with haughty   
airs about it. Nevertheless, they were laughing, and   
Uranus could find nothing funny about the situation.   
  
"What's so funny?" she finally asked.   
  
The answer soon made itself apparent, and Uranus   
definitely knew it wasn't funny. As if discarding the   
cloak of midnight shadow innumerable droids appeared   
out of nowhere behind their two leaders, each armed   
with all manner of banned and illegal weaponry. Their   
number soon spread to above and around the two Sailor   
Senshi, cutting off avenues of escape one-by-one.   
  
"Trap," Uranus hissed angrily.   
  
"This way!" Neptune cried, rocketing downward before   
the droids could close off that avenue.   
  
Uranus followed suit, and she risked a glance back at   
the droid mob long enough to see the two leaders still   
laughing, and their minions giving chase.   
  
She almost ran into Neptune when another squad of   
droids made their entrance, shedding their cloaks of   
blackness. Uranus reached out and grabbed Neptune's   
arm through the globe, and continued picking up speed   
as the ever-growing mob gave chase.   
  
Events repeated themselves five or six times before   
it dawned on her. Nemesis was getting way too big from   
the view.   
  
"They're trying to corner us against the planet,"   
she shared with Neptune. "These guys really are   
clever."   
  
"They planned out our escape path from the start, and   
placed more of their army at strategic points just to   
herd us there," Neptune added. "Even if we fought it   
out back there they can still beat us by sheer   
numbers."   
  
"They may even get that yet," Uranus pointed out.   
  
"On the other hand, do you think they really planned   
for us to go down to Nemesis?" She flashed a   
conspiratorial smile.   
  
"Let's do it!" Uranus shouted, as both Sailor Senshi   
plunged into Nemesis's atmosphere.   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Palace of Solitude   
  
Cinder roared with laughter as he and Sypha appeared   
within their base of operations on Nemesis, the capitol   
city of Darkhold. He watched the main viewscreen as   
the Sailor Senshi plunged into the atmosphere,   
creating their own fireball as they descended.   
  
"The fools," he hissed, "what do they think they're   
doing?"   
  
"Desperation," Sypha answered. "Watch."   
  
---   
  
Darkhold, Nemesis   
  
Shaking off the heat associated with atmospheric   
re-entry Uranus and Neptune flew through the dark   
streets of Nemesis's capitol, obviously in its night   
cycle, with a legion of droids trailing behind. Uranus   
took it as a good sign that no more droids were   
appearing ahead, satisfied that this wasn't part of the   
enemy's plan.   
  
"We can't get back to Earth at this rate," Uranus   
thought out-loud. "We've got to ditch these tin cans   
now."   
  
Something caught Neptune's eye. "If that's what I   
think it is, then we could get rid of most of them   
there."   
  
Uranus followed Neptune's pointing finger, and saw   
what appeared to be a tall, black spire near Darkhold's   
own lake. Despite appearing no more grand than any of   
the other Darkhold structures she could see a faint   
fountain of power radiating off the top, obviously   
marking it as a power regulator of some sort, for   
whatever the Black Moon Family used to power their   
city.   
  
It was perfect.   
  
"Let's hope these guys are dumber than their   
leaders," she decided.   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Palace of Solitude   
  
"Brilliant," Cinder praised. "By entering Darkhold   
proper they hold hostage their enemy. By luring them   
to one of the five Dark Points that make up the outer   
borders of the city they eliminate their locust   
pursuers in one fell swoop."   
  
He continued his speech as the power generator   
erupted in a geyser of energy, taking with it much of   
the droid legion. They headed off toward the next   
closest outer point of the star-shaped Darkhold, a   
mirror foundation of Crystal Tokyo. "See as they show   
no regard for the enemy civilians, for they are as   
that-- enemies. Watch as they sacrifice the lifeblood   
of an entire city just to elude our mass-produced,   
mindless droids."   
  
The second generator fell, and most of the droids   
were gone. Those that survived could barely keep up   
with Uranus and Neptune, and they were satisfied enough   
to slow down and pick them off with their own abilities   
instead. "They believe they have the upper hand, but   
they know too little of the truth. Ruthless as they   
are, they fail to notice we are far more ruthless than   
they."   
  
"Had we allowed them to gather all the facts, would   
they have acted differently if they knew they were   
hurting their own people?" Sypha said, posing the   
question such that it could not be answered. "Had they   
known that their opponents were not mere droids,   
perhaps they could have taken us seriously."   
  
In an instant, the two teleported toward the center   
of carnage, where Uranus and Neptune were finishing off   
the last of the droids with their signature attacks.   
Both warriors laughed.   
  
"You!" Uranus shouted. "Your ploy didn't work!"   
  
"It worked quite well, actually," Cinder countered   
lowly. "In fact, it worked too well. Well done."   
  
"Who are you?" asked Neptune. "Compared to these we   
destroyed, you're no mere droids."   
  
"In that you are correct," replied the hooded fire   
master. "I am known as Cinder to your people, the last   
of the salamander race of kami."   
  
Cinder threw off his hood, and made his point clear   
to the Sailor Senshi. His skin made primarily of   
black, obsidian-like scales, the fire master's   
otherwise flawless, proud, lizard-like face was marred   
by two things: a mechanical eye where the left eye   
should have been, and a steel jaw.   
  
"Your people know me as Sypha Blade," the sorcerer   
introduced, bowing. "Human shape I appear, but kami I   
was born. We are the last of our peoples, and we must   
thank you for taking vengeance for us."   
  
"Kami? Vengeance?" Uranus shook her head. "What   
are you talking about?"   
  
Sypha extended a claw toward the destroyed spire.   
"See this? The destruction you cause for your fellow   
human race? It certainly is harsh to live in such   
environs as Nemesis, but you make it much worse to live   
in for the people from Crystal Tokyo."   
  
"You can't be serious."   
  
"Imagine, if you will, when we parade you two around   
Darkhold, telling them of your misdeeds. Imagine how   
it feels to be outcast from your own people, and lose   
them altogether. Imagine what it is to be the last of   
your race!"   
  
"Get out of the way, we have no time for this,"   
Uranus said with determination.   
  
"Watch as our cause grows in support after your   
treacherous attack!" Cinder cried, raising his claws   
out, and throwing jets of flame.   
  
---   
  
Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, Darkhold   
  
Repair had already begun on the two power generators   
destroyed in the reckless attack by Sailor Uranus and   
Sailor Neptune, with the maintenance droids working   
ceaselessly for hours since the capture of the two.   
Word circulated about the attack on their own people,   
and while some believed it was an honest mistake, some   
started to doubt their sailor guardians.   
  
It made no matter ot Ukyo, she had her teleportation   
tube.   
  
When the restaurant opened that morning she made it a   
point not to bring up the issue, and to neither   
champion Cinder and Sypha or discount Uranus and   
Neptune. Her role was only to listen, as it made the   
patrons feel better. It also resulted in better   
business.   
  
Cologne finally entered the restaurant, intent in her   
eyes, hopping in on her staff.   
  
"Oh, hi," Ukyo waved, trying to sound cheery, but it   
seemed too forced to her ears.   
  
"I hear our city's stewards defended us from an   
attack by Sailor Senshi," Cologne began neutrally.   
  
"I heard the same thing. Isn't that weird?"   
  
"Perhaps. On the one hand Sypha and Cinder are no   
more human than you think I am. On the other, they are   
very capable warriors, alone or apart, and proven more   
than a match for the Sailor Senshi, Uranus and   
Neptune, if they are being held in the palace."   
  
"You think so?"   
  
"Any uprising against a simple two opponents is a   
dream now," Cologne concluded, shaking her head sadly.   
"It appears this show of force will keep people content   
for now."   
  
"If not for the other thing, which is the Sailor   
Senshi attacking us."   
  
The old woman's eyes narrowed, and for once Ukyo was   
glad there was no one else in the dining room. "In   
that case perhaps your role in town is moot. There is   
no more reason for you to remain."   
  
Ukyo feigned surprise. "What?"   
  
"Don't play with an old woman; I know you threw your   
lot with them."   
  
She realized that the hag figured out the truth. It   
was there for anyone to see, but very few took the time   
to put the puzzle pieces together. Konatsu could   
live with it, at least. "So now what?"   
  
"We'll see," she promised.   
  
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Stay tuned for more.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	7. Broken Sword

Souls of Fire #7: Broken Sword   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Observatory, Palace of Solitude   
  
To the creature humans knew as Sypha Blade, the whole   
of her existence can be summed up in one word: revenge.   
  
The captive population of Crystal Tokyo, magically   
transplanted on Nemesis, in the capitol city of   
Darkhold, the home of their former enemies, knew not of   
even that from the black sorcerer. Very few, outside a   
small circle of trusted allies, knew the truth behind   
the human-shape kami.   
  
For well over a thousand years, before the coming of   
the crystal civilization, Sypha was stranded on the   
plane of ancestry, on the planet Earth. Cut off from   
her homeland she studied Earth's magic system to become   
strong, and research a method by which she could return   
to the so-called Kami Plane, the artificial demi-plane   
that served as a mirror of Earth on a different level   
of existence. To that end she clashed endlessly with   
the guardians of the Gate of Heaven, protected by the   
Four Gods in order to keep the two populations apart   
and prevent mutual annihilation of each other.   
  
It was somewhat ironic that she found herself allied   
with the last of their Order, the priestess Shizuka.   
Shizuka herself was too naive and young to think Sypha   
an enemy, and despite her hatred of her Order and a   
thousand years of jaded views on humanity in general   
the sorcerer could not help but like her. Her soul was   
very un-humanlike in a sense, and perhaps that was a   
reason she became a trusted ally, even back in the   
warring days.   
  
However, the warring days are long gone. In   
replacement came a so-called Age of Peace, one which   
its ruler, Neo Queen Serenity, openly admitted that she   
was the one who wiped out the kami civilizations by   
collapsing the demi-plane onto this one. This not only   
restored the plane whole but destroyed the void   
between the planes, which sealed the Mekani in   
nothingness for what was believed to be for all time.   
It was an unthinkable action, and at the same time it   
was a desperate one; the humans screwed-up and tried to   
make up for their mistake by sacrificing billions of   
another world.   
  
It was unforgivable. For Sypha, her Celestial home   
was destroyed by an Order-inspired magical crystal that   
shielded Earth's locales from being supplanted by   
locales existing in the same place in the Kami Plane.   
All of Earth would not have known about the kami at all   
had the crystal stopped the collapsing plane in the   
underworld.   
  
They were called the Infernals, the kami who lived in   
the underworld, and to which Cinder belonged. His   
people, the salamanders, and many others, were   
considered hellspawn in ancient myths and legends, and   
perhaps that was why Neo Queen Serenity waged a war to   
annihilate every last one of them. All save Cinder,   
who, crippled as he was, was living on Earth in exile.   
  
In effect, it produced an unthinkable alliance   
between the sky-dwelling Celestial and a world-dwelling   
Infernal.   
  
Everything she worked for was gone before she could   
grasp it. She could no longer gaze upon the Celestial   
Palace again, nor share her findings while living   
amongst the humans for over a thousand years. She   
could not meet her love any longer, one who she was   
certain was waiting those same years along with her,   
no matter how much apart they were.   
  
Damned to live the rest of her immortal existence   
with the humans as the last of her kind, the only   
motive Sypha had left in life was to get revenge on   
those who took everything. No, it wasn't simply enough   
to get revenge; Cinder was in agreement in this as   
well. They had to humiliate them first.   
  
In the humiliation part the last kami did splendid,   
as, in a spur-of-the-moment plan, they managed to   
embarrass the Sailor Senshi in front of their captive   
Crystal Tokyo people. Realizing the two Sailor Senshi   
had no idea who was in Darkhold, Sypha made it a point   
to prevent them from learning until it was too late.   
She had no doubt they were smart enough to figure it   
out, if only she let them.   
  
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune destroyed two of   
Darkhold's five black towers, which regulated the   
inherent magical energies of Nemesis as usable power   
in the city. Although on paper cutting off the power   
was a mere annoyance, the true outcome paid in spades.   
For one, those people close to the towers when they   
exploded were injured, and thus could lay good blame on   
the Sailor Senshi. Two, it brought support for the   
Crystal Tokyo defenders down a notch. And three, the   
reckless energy usage weakened the two senshi enough   
that it was a simple matter to capture them, leaving   
them alive to both bear humiliation and open up to   
future torture.   
  
Shackled in the deepest cells of the Palace of   
Solitude Uranus and Neptune were bound in cells set   
apart by a long hall, each held down with magical   
chains Sypha designed herself. The two could expend as   
much energy as they wish, but, as a Chinese finger   
trap puzzle, if one pulled on them enough the bonds   
would get stronger. There was no better way to fuel   
the chains than with the prisoner's own energy, and   
centuries of unmarred use alone made them very   
reliable.   
  
Now that they fulfilled what the Wiseman asked, Sypha   
was free to do as she chose, but the old man implied   
that she must remain on Nemesis to keep watch. She had   
no problems with that, save for the fact that she could   
not see the results of her plans when they unfold on   
the rest of the Sailor Senshi on Earth.   
  
It would be a pain, but her work would have to be   
carried out by proxy.   
  
---   
  
R&D, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
None of the techs were particularly interested in Ami   
despite the fact that she wasn't technically allowed to   
come into the research block. It took a little time to   
hack a new passcode through the system as Shion had   
changed the passwords after her previous stunt. She   
was under the impression that the mercenary was   
attempting to install something far more secure, but if   
he was doing it the progress was slow.   
  
Her eyes scanned for Chief Engineer Taydome, and Ami   
found him in the lounge, having a bite at his meager   
breakfast-- a toaster waffle-- and reading a progress   
report or something to similar effect. There was   
nothing impressive about the skinny man, save that,   
unlike many surrounding him he was from America. That   
did not stop him from rising to the position with the   
big hat, however.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
Even a simple greeting caught Taydome by surprise, as   
he jumped in his seat, throwing up his report into the   
air. "Cripes, don't do that!"   
  
"Sorry," she apologized quickly. "Chief Engineer   
Taydome?"   
  
"That's me," he answered. Holding his waffle by the   
teeth Taydome reached to gather his scattered papers.   
"You're Ami Mizuno, correct?"   
  
Ami nodded. "I'm sorry we haven't met until now."   
  
"Don't be," he insisted. "I spend almost all of my   
time down in restriction land anyway. I hardly know   
anyone outside this block other than Ms. Mishima and   
a couple others."   
  
"Then you don't have many friends, I suppose." It   
was a rather logical conclusion, but it would help to   
put the man off-guard for what she was planning to do.   
  
"Nope!" Taydome said, seemingly proud of the fact.   
He paused to swallow the last of his breakfast. "For   
some it's having fun which makes life enjoyable, but   
for me it's the scientific pursuit in engineering   
robotics." He made a gesture in the air with one hand.   
"After all, Ms. Mishima is using my prime robots now."   
  
"You created those?"   
  
"Mmmhmm. Pretty dumb, but I plan on installing   
better AI routines in the next batch. That is, after   
we complete upgrading the weapons on our existing   
units." He shook his head. "We keep running out of   
bullets, especially after the shield attack."   
  
"Bullets?" Ami said, surprised. "I thought they were   
illegal."   
  
"They are. We had to manufacture our own, but   
Management decided it wasn't very effective, as the   
raw materials could be used to make more robots instead   
of bullets. We're going for energy weapons now."   
  
This was it, Ami decided. If the Mishima robots were   
upgraded with the new energy weapons, they could   
pummel the energy shield until their batteries ran   
dry. In other words, ammunition was going to become a   
non-issue when the techs were through.   
  
But she had to keep him talking... at the very   
least, long enough for her computer to alter the   
security schematics enough to allow her complete access   
to every room. "Why did you join in with these   
people?"   
  
"Eh?"   
  
"Why did you join?"   
  
"Oh." Taydome laughed to himself. "A fortune   
cookie told me."   
  
Ami merely blinked.   
  
"No, I'm not kidding. When President Mishima   
offered to cryo-freeze me for a future generation, he   
gave me time to think it over. Me and a couple of   
others went out to a Chinese restaurant, and I opened   
up my fortune cookie. It said, 'You will receive a   
great project in the future.'"   
  
"Needless to say," he continued, recalling the   
moment in his mind, "I was thrilled. Any doubts about   
my existence were erased with such a golden promise.   
It turned out that the cookie was right, and I've   
accomplished several great projects within a month   
alone! It's certainly a great time to be alive."   
  
With that notion Ami had to agree.   
  
---   
  
Ami's Quarters, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
She was glad to be back in the privacy of her   
allocated quarters, but there was no time to rest.   
  
Taking a quick glance in the direction of her desk   
she found her palm computer finished its work. Now   
that her program was done there was no need to fear   
about getting caught in the act.   
  
Sitting down Ami ran a quick check of the current   
status of the compound, stopping the automatic   
scrolling when a personnel list passed by. Backing up   
a bit she realized she hit a gold mine: it was the   
complete roster of all seventeen members of the Fenril   
Knights, along with their recruits and technicians.   
  
Scanning the list Ami saw it was updated yesterday,   
as there was a status listed next to each name. It was   
likely a bookkeeping device, she thought. She read   
the list aloud:   
  
"Ayame Mishima: on leave. Shion Kagami: on leave.   
Kanna Rajura: on leave, don't bother me." She laughed   
to herself quietly, realizing that Kanna was probably   
the one compiling the list.   
  
Strangely enough, that also meant the Triumvirate   
was gone, and not watching her.   
  
"Ranma Saotome: MIA. Ryoga Hibiki: AWOL. Shizuka   
Minazuki: unavailable. Tatewaki Kuno: KIA. Kodachi   
Kuno: Standby." Well, that put at least one person on   
her list to deal with, if this one was even looking.   
"Shampoo: unavailable. Mousse: Standby. Miranda   
Kusao: on assignment. Ukyo Kuonji: on assignment.   
Cinder: on assignment. Sypha Blade: on assignment.   
Higure Furui: Standby. Pantyhose Taro: AWOL. Hokuto   
Takemasa: unknown."   
  
'Unknown?' Ami thought back into her mind, and could   
not recall actually meeting the one the others called a   
recluse.   
  
The list went on, listing Taydome and the rest of the   
technical staff. She paused at her name at the end of   
the list, and blinked when she saw the status next to   
it: "Unreliable."   
  
"I don't understand," Ami said aloud. "Why would   
Kanna put something like that there and then leave?"   
  
"She knows something, that's for sure; she wanted me   
to find it. Maybe she wants me to become uneasy and   
panic. But there is no use second-guessing myself   
while Kanna is nowhere to be found. For that matter,   
most of the Fenril Knights are not even in the   
compound... and the window of opportunity may be   
quite small."   
  
The time to act is now. It was too good to resist   
destroying the entire Mishima robot army while the   
three heads of the hydra were looking away.   
  
But, almost certainly, it had to be a clever trap.   
Or could it be an honest mistake? From what Ami   
gathered Kanna was supposed to be the most brilliant   
tactician, but she is still human.   
  
At least the search produced the names of all   
seventeen Fenril Knights, a list that may prove key to   
the rest of this pointless war.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
It was a pain in the ass for Ranma to figure out how   
to beat the Sailor Senshi.   
  
Snooping around early she resolved to find out what   
gave the girls their special powers; only by harnessing   
those powers herself could she hope to match them. She   
did manage to find each of their quarters, but there   
seemed to be an extra room, one with no occupants, and   
with the sign of Mercury. Ranma had no idea what that   
meant, but it hardly stopped her from learning about   
the Sailor Senshi.   
  
Using her innocent curiosity guise Ranma made small   
talk with three Sailor Senshi, trying to pull as much   
information as possible without drawing suspicion.   
Of course, when posed with the 'source of power'   
question they answered, "From our hearts."   
  
It was the lamest thing she ever heard, but on some   
level it probably made sense to them, considering all   
three of them gave almost the same answer. Ranma   
concluded that it must have to do with the Silver   
Crystal thingy the queen keeps in her private quarters.   
  
For some reason the way to the inner sanctum was   
unguarded... it was likely laziness on the part of Neo   
Queen Serenity. Too much confidence in their shield   
generator... Ranma reminded herself to find where that   
device could be before leaving.   
  
She stopped in her tracks, hearing footsteps echo   
from down the hall. Ranma ran back to the nearest   
corner and hid, creeping her eyes around to see Neo   
Queen Serenity walk by, talking about something to   
Sailor Venus. She guessed they were leaving the place   
where the crystal was.   
  
Counting several heartbeats Ranma decided it was a   
good time to sneak in, dashing down the hall with all   
haste. She spotted a large set of double doors, shut   
closed, and smiled to herself.   
  
Looking around to make sure no one was watching,   
Ranma pushed herself in.   
  
Disappointment mounted on her ego. The pedestal for   
the Silver Crystal was certainly there, but the crystal   
itself was not.   
  
"She has it," Ranma realized, although she couldn't   
think of a reason why the queen would want to take it   
anywhere.   
  
---   
  
"Death Phantom is forcing my hand," Neo Queen   
Serenity told Venus as they walked through the halls,   
the Silver Crystal resting in the brooch on her dress.   
"There is no longer a choice; I must fight him as   
well."   
  
"Are you sure?" asked Venus, even though she knew   
her words could never dissuade the queen.   
  
She nodded. "The Child of Chaos appears to be   
working openly; he wishes to goad this world into   
fighting, and in this recent attack he is succeeding.   
I once said that disputes can be solved by talking,   
and Death Phantom attempted to show me that talking is   
useless last night."   
  
"So now we're stooping to his level," Venus noted.   
  
"We must protect the peace we worked so hard to   
build, and I cannot allow my friends to do that alone.   
I must do something about it."   
  
"What about the Silver Crystal?"   
  
Neo Queen Serenity shook her head. "If there is   
indeed a threat of Mekani invasion, we need to save its   
power for them. The Fenril Knights and Death Phantom   
would only drain its energy too much. I am   
responsible for an entire world; I cannot use this   
power recklessly."   
  
"Oh yeah," Venus interrupted. "The expedition you   
wanted to send out? I just heard back from them...   
apparently people are gathered outside the city, so   
they didn't have to go very far."   
  
"And?"   
  
"Every time someone tries to go in or out a bunch of   
machines appear and shoot everybody." She quickly   
added, "No fatalities so far, but everyone's keeping   
their distance. The robots are apparently also cutting   
any communication wires we try to run over the border."   
  
"That might explain why our computers cannot reach   
beyond the city limits," Serenity thought.   
  
"Yeah, but I doubt the Fenril would cut themselves   
like that, too. There's got to be a way they're   
keeping tabs on us like that. We've got to do   
something about the robots."   
  
"So far it is a standoff," the queen reasoned. "If   
the Fenril only wishes to keep everyone out of the city   
and us in, then we must play by their rules for the   
moment. I doubt the Peacekeepers can offer us much   
aid anyway. Any word from my husband?"   
  
Venus shook her head. "Want me to send another   
expedition out?"   
  
"No," she replied with a sigh. "It appears we are   
on our own in this one."   
  
---   
  
Palace Gates, Crystal Palace   
  
Shampoo paced the front gates like a caged animal,   
waiting to strike. She eyed the clear path to the   
front gate, unguarded as it was, with a certain   
patience.   
  
The only reason she remained outside was due to the   
fact that an energy barrier was preventing her from   
getting inside.   
  
Behind her, Mousse watched, running his hand up and   
down his face, both tired and flabbergasted at the   
sudden change in Shampoo's attitude. His eyes followed   
her predatorial pace, hypnotized by the spectacle, or   
rather, by the events which lead to their current   
situation.   
  
He had no idea what she was going through at the   
moment, but the weapons master knew it had something to   
do with her brief possession by Deathclaw, the ghost   
dragon now inhabiting the comatose Shizuka. Mousse   
was there to witness first-hand the rage of Deathclaw   
when he attacked the palace, as he was nearly blown   
away from the energy shockwaves from him pounding on   
the energy shield a lot. There was no way for him to   
know what it felt to be trapped in a void space   
without the means to die, but Mousse was certain that   
Shampoo understood completely, and that was what's   
driving her over the edge.   
  
"Shampoo," he said, gathering himself slowly. "I   
don't think there's a point to be out here... not with   
the shield up and all."   
  
"There has to be a way inside," Shampoo replied.   
  
"But not that way," the weapons master added.   
  
"It's either this or nothing," she insisted. "All I   
need is a way to bleed off all the energy from the   
shield and I can finish Sailor Moon myself."   
  
"You mean before Kodachi gets her?" Mousse sighed,   
knowing that the other insane girl was busy at the   
other end of the palace trying to get in as well.   
While she vocally affirmed that she was after Venus,   
Shampoo still looked to her as a rival to her goals.   
In any case he knew Kodachi was being more productive,   
as she had a small group of GAIAs working on the shield   
with their retrofitted energy busters.   
  
He wondered why Venus so cowardly refused to accept   
Kodachi's challenge; that would at least make Shampoo   
relax a bit more.   
  
"Maybe we're going about this the wrong way," he   
suggested.   
  
"What?" Shampoo flashed him an angry look.   
  
He raised his arms, and took several steps back.   
"No, wait! Hear me out. I mean, think about it... why   
should we let them sit in there, drink tea or   
whatever, and laugh at us, while we're still standing   
out here waiting for a blue moon? Why not make them   
come outside?"   
  
Shampoo raised an eyebrow. "You know, Mousse, that   
is the smartest thing you said yet," she said in a low   
tone. "Killing a few bystanders should get their   
attention quickly...."   
  
Mousse suddenly realized she was talking about him.   
"Okay, okay! We don't need to do it my way...!"   
  
"Then shut up, go away, and stop trying to baby-sit   
me!" she hissed. "Find yourself a new girl to latch   
onto, because from here someone is going to die. I   
prefer it to be Sailor Moon first."   
  
He blinked in surprise. "You don't plan on coming   
back, one way or another. Why are you throwing your   
life away?"   
  
"Understand this, Mousse," she replied. "I refuse to   
live, knowing the atrocities done here. I refuse to   
have anything to do with humanity, if it can be as   
cruel as to thrust me into a cold void. I reject   
immortality. If you value your life, you will leave   
now."   
  
Mousse wanted to continue reasoning with her,   
convince her there was another way, but saw the   
futility in it; Deathclaw did more than enough damage   
to her in his killing rage. There was too much hurt in   
her eyes; too much horror to simply forget. Too much   
pain. Shampoo was already dead, and she knew it; it   
was all a matter of convincing the rest of her body   
the same.   
  
For a moment, he wondered how Shizuka planned on   
surviving such a terrible beast.   
  
---   
  
Ranko's Quarters, Crystal Palace   
  
Ranma sighed to herself, throwing herself onto the   
bed she was given for the duration of her stay in the   
palace. Staring at the ceiling, the martial artist   
wondered how long she could keep up the charade before   
somebody realized that she was cursed.   
  
"No Silver Crystal," she said to the air. "Their   
source of power gives them an edge over us that we   
haven't been able to beat. The answer has to be in   
front of me...."   
  
She produced the three black crystal shards she   
collected over her stay, and held each of them up to   
the light. "These things are kinda worthless, but   
couldn't I use these as my own source of power?"   
  
Could that even be done?   
  
Each of the prism shards glowed softly, and Ranma   
found that if she drew them closer together the glow   
became much brighter. The magic was working with each   
other, certainly.   
  
In a flash she knew: it can be done.   
  
And yet she also felt that three crystals was not   
nearly enough; Ranma knew she had to get more of them,   
but getting more prisms while a prisoner in the palace   
could present a problem.   
  
---   
  
Ami's Quarters, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
She had her head buried in her arms while sitting at   
her desk, but she was stirred awake by the sound of a   
voice whispering in her ear.   
  
"Don't you want to help me?"   
  
Sitting up quickly, rousing herself from her nap, Ami   
quickly grabbed her computer from her desk and looked   
around. "Who's there?" Her eyes looked around, and   
saw....   
  
Darkness, and nothing more.   
  
"I can help you," the voice whispered, seemingly   
coming from nowhere.   
  
Shizuka, she recognized.   
  
"We can call it an even trade," she offered quietly.   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ami said,   
standing in her seat, looking for any obvious bugs she   
might have missed. She shook her head, deciding that   
it wasn't anything that simple. "Aren't you...?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Why can I hear you?"   
  
"Because I wanted to talk to you... before you made a   
terrible mistake."   
  
"If it's a trap, I'm prepared for that," Ami replied   
confidently. "Kanna knows already."   
  
"Then there's no hope for you to succeed."   
  
"I won't know unless I try."   
  
"I see... but you can still help me. Wake me up."   
  
"Wake you?"   
  
"Surely your magicks work flawlessly," Shizuka   
reasoned, her voice remaining at the same level. "Can   
it be that you can't do what I request?"   
  
"I don't have that kind of power."   
  
"I see."   
  
"Shizuka," she said, "I'm doing this to help   
everybody. I can't help you directly, now... but what   
I'm doing is for the good of...."   
  
"Of the greater whole," the priestess interrupted.   
"Of course; how typical of you, Mizuno."   
  
She didn't call me 'Mercury' this time. That was a   
good sign, at least. "When I leave I promise I'll ask   
Neo Queen Serenity to help you... to help all you   
people. The fighting must end."   
  
"I agree," Shizuka replied. "But not in the manner   
in which you intend to end it."   
  
"You don't have to understand now; it'll come in   
time."   
  
"I understand everything. I think you're making the   
wrong choice. It's not too late to convince Kanna   
you're not a traitor."   
  
"If I stay I betray my queen," Ami pointed out. "I   
knew this when I started this journey. I promised   
myself I wouldn't betray my friends."   
  
"In the end, none of us are your friends." There was   
bitterness in Shizuka's voice. "I trusted you."   
  
"That's not what I meant...."   
  
"Of course you did." Ami jumped in shock when the   
priestess materialized in front of her, anger in her   
expression. Her voice raised an octave. "Such is the   
nature of an infiltrator; they will betray the trust   
of someone. If you were otherwise you wouldn't have   
ever thought to infiltrate us in the first place."   
  
"Maybe, but I love this world too much to see it fall   
into ruin."   
  
"Then perhaps you need to put your priorities   
straight, Mizuno," Shizuka hissed. "In the guise of   
benefiting the many this world was designed to cater to   
the few. Your Sailor Senshi friends cater to the few--   
that is, themselves-- by shaping the world to their   
liking, then forcing everyone else to conform to their   
views. Did they ask the world if they wished for   
Earth to be this way? No. Is this what the planet   
wishes out of humanity? No. The course of human   
evolution was altered to suit the petty wants of a   
handful."   
  
"There's no disease," she continued, pacing a circle   
around Ami. "There's no murder, war, fighting,   
famine, flood, or pollution. There's no room for human   
error or human expression, because avenues are closed   
off to make way for what the Sailor Senshi consider to   
be the high form of art. It disgusts me to think that   
everyone works toward the interest of Neo Queen   
Serenity, in the name of bettering the human race...   
in the name of love, justice, and goodness." It was   
obvious that those last words were held in contempt.   
  
She came to a stop, gazing Ami directly in the eye.   
"Tell me, Mizuno, when was the last time you   
encountered a big game hunter on this Earth? There are   
none. When was the last time you saw a horror movie?   
There are none. When was the last time you saw a   
simple bank robbery, even?" Shizuka shook her head.   
"I liked humanity much more when each knew what they   
wanted to do in life, and worked their lifestyle toward   
that goal. I like the selfish human race; I can trust   
it much more than a collective that selflessly gives   
their lives to each other... or to a dictator."   
  
Ami shook her head. "I'm sorry you think that way."   
  
"Then I can't persuade you," the priestess decided.   
"Know this, Mizuno: you made a mistake by thinking you   
can defeat us. We were not the first, nor are we the   
last, of humanity to challenge your queen. We will   
continue to fight until we are either wiped out, or   
the head of your queen is skewered on a pike in the   
garden. Enjoy your small victories while you can,   
Mizuno, because you'll never win."   
  
---   
  
Ami burst awake at her desk, sweating profusely. She   
looked around, quickly snatched up her computer from   
the desk, and looked around.   
  
Silence, and nothing more.   
  
"Dream," she realized. "I must've fallen asleep."   
  
Perhaps that was a very dangerous thing to do from   
here on out, Ami decided, if Shizuka could easily rip   
her appart that way. There was a good chance that she   
was still in deep slumber, but the consequence was her   
dream reaper form... however she was doing it.   
  
For a moment she wondered if the other Fenril Knights   
were receiving such dreams.   
  
She checked her desk clock, and saw that it was well   
into the night already.   
  
Gathering her important belongings, Ami quickly   
freshened herself up, then gave the room one last   
glance. If all went well, she would never have to see   
it again.   
  
With silent determination, Ami set out to complete   
her mission.   
  
---   
  
Palace Gates, Crystal Palace   
  
The moon had already reached its zenith for that day   
as Shampoo continued to pace in front of the shielded   
gate, no more tired or bored of herself than when   
Mousse parted hours ago. Kodachi, even, went home   
when the sun went down out of boredom. That pretty   
much left Sailor Moon all to herself.   
  
"There's much more productive ways to get inside,"   
someone said from behind.   
  
Shampoo snatched up her bonbori from the ground and   
lunched at the speaker, but she hit only air. She felt   
a presence behind her, and took another swing. Again,   
there was nothing.   
  
"Come now, I can help you get in the shield," Hokuto   
Takemasa said, her form lifting from her own shadow on   
the ground. She threw open her cloak and held out her   
hand. "The shadow stream can bypass the shield."   
  
The Chinese Amazon's eyes narrowed suspiciously.   
"Why should I trust you? How do I know you aren't   
after Sailor Moon too?"   
  
"That depends whether or not you know another way to   
get past the shield," the Shadow Weaver pointed out.   
"I didn't think so."   
  
Shampoo snarled.   
  
"I'll take that as an acceptance of my offer," she   
decided.   
  
---   
  
R&D, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Mentally, she ran her plan through her head once   
again as Ami taped the explosives onto the support beam   
with duct tape, tearing off wide strips. She thought   
about running over to the storage facility where the   
Mekani void-ripper was being kept, but it was still   
attached to the cubic engine-- a fusion bomb waiting   
to explode if it detonated due to the lingering   
energies from the heart crystals. It was fortunate   
that the Fenril thought to keep it locked up when not   
in use.   
  
She found these explosives in the armory, likely the   
same explosives that Kanna used to blow up her   
friend's house earlier. Each detonated on a remote   
control, with a link option that allowed one explosive   
in a sequence to detonate with a press of a single   
button. Or she could blow them up all at once.   
  
She planned on being clear from the R&D block by the   
time she pressed the button. She wanted to make sure   
it all went at once.   
  
Ami found an ideal escape tunnel in the schematics   
provided in her computer search. She had no plans to   
utilize the black prism shard given to her, as she had   
the idea that the Fenril could easily track her while   
she was carrying it. The escape tunnel was simply a   
small car shot through a pipe at high velocity,   
ultimately ending out in the sea. It was designed   
such that, if it were ever used, the tunnel would   
collapse behind it, so no one could use it to enter the   
hidden base.   
  
That was another thing that bothered Ami. While she   
suspected that the underground base was under the   
Mishima building, nothing in the records even pointed   
that way. It was likely that it wasn't directly under   
the building, but at least in that area. Or... it was   
entirely possible that the base was mobile.   
  
She strapped on the last of the explosives, wiping   
her forehead and discarding the spent roll of duct   
tape. Ami reached for the remote control in her   
pocket, and extended the antenna while keeping the   
cover over the large square, red button.   
  
Time to leave, she decided.   
  
"Hold it right there," she heard a man say from   
behind. The command was followed by a telltale click   
of a removed safety.   
  
Philip Taydome pointed his gun toward the back of   
Ami's head. "Now I want you to stand, slowly."   
  
Link option it is, Ami decided, flipping one switch   
before pressing the red button.   
  
The explosion rocked the entire block, the blast   
rebounding off the wall opposite it and creating a   
larger cloud of destruction. Taydome was knocked off   
his feet, and that gave Ami enough time to spin and   
deck him with her foot. The gun was sent scattering   
across the floor, well away from the chief engineer.   
  
All around the room inert GAIAs sprung to life, their   
hunting eyes scanning for Ami. She cursed silently to   
herself, realizing that Taydome wasn't the only one who   
was on to her. Quickly, she pressed the button again,   
and this time the blast caught her would-be attackers   
in the back.   
  
Already chunks of ceiling began to fall, and when   
Ami turned to the sound of Taydome's scream he already   
disappeared under debris. Surveying the wreckage   
quickly Ami decided that the man couldn't possibly have   
survived, and headed toward the exit as more of the   
Mishima robots climbed over their fallen brethren to   
continue the pursuit.   
  
Leaving the block, Ami slammed her fist into the   
control box near the door, sealing it shut. Raising   
her hand and the remote control, she pressed the   
trigger several more times before retreating down the   
hall.   
  
A door slid open down the hall, and the barrel of a   
weapon poked out. Ami stopped in her tracks as its   
owner stepped into the hall, and knew this was the one   
who was trying to activate the robots to stop her.   
  
Aiming the Fire Buster Mark III squarely at her head,   
Shion Kagami said, "I thought you were smarter than   
this."   
  
Ami detected a tinge of disappointment in his voice.   
"How long have you known?"   
  
"A long, long time ago," Shion answered. "I've known   
Kanna for most of my life, and she's almost never   
wrong." He snorted. "I'm just too trusting, then.   
Drop the box."   
  
Slowly, Ami held out her arm, and dropped the remote   
control, allowing it to clatter on the ground.   
  
"Where's Dr. Taydome?" he demanded.   
  
"He's dead."   
  
"Then there's a life on your head. I can't even get   
a decent vacation because of you, Ami. I trusted you,   
and this is how you repay me?"   
  
"I'm sorry," she offered sincerely, but knew the   
mercenary would never accept it.   
  
"'Sorry' doesn't cut it." He tapped the buster's   
trigger anxiously. "How can I trust a world that   
betrays me at every turn? How can I believe in a   
bright future for this Earth with people like you   
running it?"   
  
"It's not too late," she began to say.   
  
"It is for you," he replied simply. "Traitor."   
  
The moment Shion squeezed the trigger, Ami threw her   
arm into the air, shouting, "Mercury Crystal Power,   
Make-Up!"   
  
Flames deflected and jetted around her, and Shion   
was forced to step back and shield his eyes as the   
transformation protected her from the flame.   
  
"Sailor Mercury," he hissed, anger boiling. "It was   
you...."   
  
Clamping onto the fire buster much tighter, Shion   
screamed, "IT WAS YOU!!!"   
  
"Shabon Spray!" Mercury shouted, throwing a thick   
mist into the hall.   
  
Flames erupted in the space she once occupied, and   
Mercury hoped the mist would distract Shion long   
enough for her to make her escape. She slipped past   
the mercenary quickly while he was still focused on   
his forward direction.   
  
But the flame would evaporate the mist quickly, and   
there wasn't much time.   
  
---   
  
Throwing off his steamed glasses, Shion breathed   
heavily as he stared at where Sailor Mercury was   
supposed to be, and found nothing. Angrily, he tossed   
the fire buster on the floor, and reached for a   
transmitter in his jacket pocket.   
  
"Initiate Priority One Emergency Lockdown sequence!"   
  
All around him the lights dimmed and turned red in   
hue as sirens blared on speakers. All doors slammed   
shut and incremental barriers fell on the hallway as   
Shion collapsed to his knees, defeated.   
  
Slamming his knuckles into the ground, he wanted to   
cry, but there were no tears to shed.   
  
Endgame begins now.   
  
"I'll kill you," he vowed in a low tone. "Even if   
it's the last thing I do, I'll rip you apart, Sailor   
Mercury!"   
  
---   
  
For each barrier that got in her way Sailor Mercury   
destroyed them quickly, wondering what effect Shion's   
lockdown would have on the escape vehicle.   
  
She found it easily, and the bullet-shaped car looked   
untouched by the emergency lockdown. Mercury slipped   
into the car and sealed it shut behind her, then pulled   
out her palm computer and plugged it into the system.   
With a few keystrokes she override the system and the   
care was on its way.   
  
"I trusted you," Shizuka had said, strangely echoing   
the sentiments of Shion.   
  
"How can I believe in a bright future for this Earth   
with people like you running it?" Shion had said, the   
words echoing in Mercury's mind as the car made its   
escape.   
  
In the end, she concluded, they had no reason to stop   
fighting, and it was her fault.   
  
"Enjoy your small victories while you can," Shizuka   
also said, "because you'll never win."   
  
---   
  
The debris burying Philip Taydome, the late chief   
engineer of Mishima Heavy Industries' R&D, disappeared   
into nothingness as Wiseman waved his hand. The body   
of the crushed man, while having imperfections here and   
there, was reasonably intact.   
  
And just in time, he added, reaching into his hood   
and throwing his lower jaw at a wall.   
  
The crystal ball levitated away from Wiseman,   
hovering over Taydome's body. A dark bolt of lightning   
lanced downward, engulfing the body in darkness. The   
cloaked form of Wiseman clattered to the ground   
lifelessly.   
  
Taydome's fingers began to twitch, and his eyes were   
thrown open suddenly.   
  
The spirit of the former gone, Wiseman rose from the   
dead once again.   
  
---   
  
Ranko's Quarters, Crystal Palace   
  
Ranma stared up at the ceiling, lying on her bed   
with her arms folded behind her head. Sleep was not   
easy to come each night, and she wished her mind was   
at peace. Yet, something nagging in the back of her   
mind kept the martial artist awake each night.   
  
It was either the exhilarating thought of being   
caught, or anxiousness from doing nothing, she   
decided.   
  
However, that situation seemed to change in an   
instant. Despite the lights being out Ranma detected a   
movement in the shadows, against the dimness of the   
light. She made out a silhouette that rose out of the   
shadow, one of a vaguely familiar shape.   
  
And very close.   
  
"Yaaahh!!" she screamed, the Shadow Weaver Hokuto   
emerging seemingly from nowhere.   
  
"I'm glad I found you," she said quietly. To Ranma's   
ears Hokuto sounded like her usual, bored self, one   
resigned to whatever Fate had in store for her. It was   
a stupid way to live, but no one could convince her   
otherwise, much less change her mannerisms quick   
enough. At least she was trying to change.   
  
And yet she was uncomfortably close. "Hokuto... how   
the hell did you get in?!" Ranma demanded.   
  
From beneath the folds of her traveling cloak Hokuto   
produced her black crystal prism, and held it out for   
Ranma to take. "I'm certain you'll need this; I   
require it no longer, now that a rift exists to the   
outer planes."   
  
"Shadow skills," Ranma decided. "So it really did   
work, huh?" she asked, accepting the prism.   
  
Hokuto nodded. "All that is required is a link, no   
matter how miniscule, to the pure element domains, the   
building blocks of the universe. A quick shortcut   
through that which links shadow together is all that is   
required to bypass the impassible shield."   
  
"Great, so now you can get me out of here?"   
  
She shook her head. "That's not why I'm here. For   
one, I want to make sure you complete the new black   
crystal you're assembling."   
  
"How'd you know about that?" Ranma asked, startled   
that someone knew what she was planning.   
  
"I read your dream."   
  
"Well, then... stop doing it, you creep."   
  
"It's difficult when thoughts wander so freely," the   
Shadow Weaver offered in explanation. "It's so bad I   
have to close my mind to the world to hear my own   
thoughts."   
  
"Great."   
  
"Incidentally," Hokuto offered, "there are now two   
more crystal shards to be gained while you're still in   
here. One you can find easily, if only you can find   
Tatewaki Kuno's body."   
  
"I thought Kuno didn't have it on his body," Ranma   
pointed out.   
  
"It's not on his body, but you might be interested   
to know why his wooden sword is heavy on one end," she   
added. "It rests with the one who wielded it."   
  
"Kuno stuck it in his sword?!" the martial artist   
realized. "No wonder he didn't make it...."   
  
She paused in her thought. "Wait a minute, what   
about the other?"   
  
"Shampoo's body, although your window of opportunity   
is small," Hokuto answered. "Or rather, her body will   
be made available shortly. Even now, I imagine she's   
getting killed by the Sailor Senshi."   
  
Ranma grabbed Hokuto by the shoulders. "You let   
Shampoo in, too?! Are you out of your mind?!"   
  
"I'm doing her a favor," the Shadow Weaver said,   
trying to justify her actions. "Deathclaw already   
killed her, it's only a matter of discarding the   
flesh."   
  
Despite wishing to get up and do something, Ranma   
found she could not get off her bed. Staring down, she   
saw that Hokuto's shadow was sprouting black claws,   
each clamping the martial artist down tightly.   
  
"Your turn will come when you complete the black   
crystal ball," Hokuto said, leaning closer.   
  
Much to Ranma's surprise, disgust, and protest, the   
Shadow Weaver held her head tight, and gave her a deep,   
passionate kiss.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Shampoo had plenty of time to hate Hokuto Takemasa   
for dropping her in the middle of a Sailor convention,   
as she appeared from the shadow of the rectangular   
table dominating the meeting room. Four enemies were   
present, but her numerical disadvantage hardly   
registered in her rotting mind as she waved her two   
bonbori expertly, keeping the Sailor Senshi at a   
distance.   
  
The Chinese Amazon claimed the high ground, standing   
defiantly on top of the table, knocking over the   
hanging crystal chandelier in the process. She saw   
Queen Serenity at the long end, grasping her brooch,   
trying to think of what to do. To the left and right   
were Mars and Venus respectively, and Shampoo knew that   
Jupiter was directly behind her.   
  
It was no consequence; they wouldn't dare use their   
special powers in this close quarters... unless they   
really were fools.   
  
"What do you want?" demanded Sailor Venus.   
  
"And how'd you get in here, anyway?" demanded Mars,   
coming off as much more forceful.   
  
Shampoo's lips curved into a smile. "Information   
that goes to the grave!"   
  
She made her strike, lunging with both her bonbori,   
one with Mars as a target, the other with the queen in   
mind. However, it seemed that the two were expecting   
this, and took care to move out of the way.   
  
Venus took advantage of Shampoo's momentary opening,   
throwing a chain that threatened to bind the Chinese   
Amazon. But Shampoo was too strong for such trivial   
magicks, as she burst them apart easily by flexing her   
arm muscles. She threw out her left leg in Venus's   
direction as if to kick her, but instead it triggered   
a mechanism on her leg that threw a concealed dagger.   
  
She had no idea if the weapon hit its mark, as   
Jupiter tackled her from behind, using her full body   
weight to try and pin her down. Shampoo pushed against   
the ground and inadvertently threw off her enemy.   
  
Almost as an afterthought, Shampoo tossed her left   
bonbori over her shoulder, and was rewarded with the   
telltale cry from Sailor Mars getting hit. She glanced   
in Venus's direction, and saw that the dagger only   
grazed her arm... she then threw the right bonbori at   
her, and nailed the girl square in the chest.   
  
Seemingly weaponless, Shampoo nonetheless stared   
down Queen Serenity, who was backing against the wall.   
"What's the matter?" she taunted. "Why don't you use   
that wand of yours and destroy me?"   
  
Neo Queen Serenity shook her head, obviously still   
shocked at how quick everything seemed to happen.   
"Why are you doing this?"   
  
"Put up a fighting chance," Shampoo demanded.   
"Maybe I can get some satisfaction before I die."   
  
She saw that the queen was staring down her eyes,   
and the Chinese Amazon could see the reflection of   
herself in her eyes. She saw the feelings, the fears,   
and the scattered thoughts, racing for an answer that   
simply did not exist.   
  
"Deathclaw..." she whispered.   
  
It was always handy to carry a backup weapon, Shampoo   
thought, as she pulled a knife from her belt. "Pity   
you wouldn't even allow me to feel satisfaction,   
either." She raised the knife high.   
  
And caved in her stomach painfully. Shampoo stared   
down at her chest, and saw that a blade was sticking   
through it-- the one from her leg.   
  
"That was pitiful, you know," Shampoo said flatly,   
craning her head around to see that it was Jupiter   
who attacked her. The enemy ducked as she made a   
downward slash.   
  
"Still kickin'," Jupiter muttered. "Geez you're   
tough!"   
  
And yet the distraction proved to be enough, as a   
bright flash of light blinded Shampoo's eyes. She knew   
what happened; the precious few seconds she was   
distracted from killing the defenseless queen was all   
the time she needed to transform into her Sailor Moon   
form.   
  
Perfect.   
  
"Now we dance!" Shampoo declared, charging at Moon,   
who stood with her magic wand ready.   
  
All her senses dulled in a moment, but still the   
Chinese Amazon rushed toward the light. Everything   
around her seemed to transform into darkness, further   
illuminating the one bright light ahead, as if at the   
end of a long tunnel. Distance seemed to warp around   
her as she ran, as Shampoo felt she could never make   
it to the end.   
  
But she would, she knew. The light was waiting for   
her to come.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ayame Mishima was in no mood for this crap.   
  
Standing in her usual position at the center of the   
bowl, she stared down Kanna Rajura coldly. "I want to   
know what the hell you've done, and you'd better   
explain quickly."   
  
"We needed a way to get rid of her," Kanna said. "I   
gave Ami all the incentive she needed to blow her   
cover and retreat. Now we no longer have a mole within   
our organization. All of our problem people are gone,   
and they think they left of their own volition."   
  
"At the cost of what?"   
  
"Fifty-two robots," the Crystal Spider answered,   
"plus Shion's pride. Taydome's reported dead, but we   
can't seem to find his body anywhere. In this case I   
outwitted Ami Mizuno quite handily, because that's not   
even a fraction of our standing force."   
  
Ayame nodded.   
  
"It's a terrible gamble, but it worked." Kanna   
shrugged. "Oh yeah... I got a note from Hokuto. It   
seems that Miranda's dead; the Sailor Senshi got her,   
I wager. They have her body, at least."   
  
That news stung Ayame more than it should have,   
and she knew it.   
  
"Shampoo might not be back, Mousse says. He thinks   
she's already dead or something. In the meantime, our   
standing army is poised to take over the world from   
hidden installations in every country. The people   
should be cake to take care of."   
  
"So now we're at endgame," the leader realized. "I   
want you personally to supervise the army, you   
understand? I don't want to see your face again until   
you come back with the world."   
  
Kanna smiled. It was the perks of handling the   
Geneva project personally that made her happy. "With   
pleasure."   
  
Ayame stood her ground as her advisor got up and   
left, the double doors sliding shut behind her. She   
stood there for several heartbeats before turning to   
leave herself, her face stone and silent.   
  
Tatewaki, Miranda, Taydome, Shampoo... all gone,   
because of terrible leadership. Ryoga, Taro, Ami...   
all traitors, because of terrible leadership. And one   
sadistic tactician, who shall remain nameless, because   
of terrible leadership.   
  
She walked through the now-empty and quiet halls back   
to her quarters, sealing the door shut. Immediately   
Ayame headed straight for the shower, stepping in   
without taking off her clothes, and turning it on cold   
all the way.   
  
She leaned against the wall opposite the shower   
head, and slid all the way to the floor, and, without   
any witness, broke down and cried.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Sailor Moon stared down at the collapsed husk that   
was her attacker... Shampoo, as she recalled. It had   
been weeks since she last saw this Fenril Knight in   
action, but it seemed that time did little to improve   
on her health.   
  
It had something to do with the fact that when   
Deathclaw bonded with Shizuka, Shampoo's body was   
discarded by the ghost dragon. There was no other   
reason why her attack could kill Shampoo so quickly.   
  
Or even why it could kill her at all.   
  
"She was Deathclaw's pawn," she realized, "sent by   
proxy in order to kill me. This girl was already dead   
by the time she made it in here."   
  
"Yeah, but how'd she get in?" wondered Jupiter,   
prodding the lifeless body with her foot. "The energy   
shield's still up, isn't it?"   
  
"Yeah," confirmed Venus. "We'd know if it'd gone   
down."   
  
"Then they're using an entirely different means to   
get inside the palace," Mars said. "From what we've   
seen if the Fenril Knights had the power to do that   
with their weapons they'd be better off taking down   
the shield than filtering people in like this."   
  
"I agree," Moon said. "It must mean that their rift   
is still open. They're using extra-planar means."   
  
"Rift?" Mars blinked. "Wouldn't we know if there   
was one still existing?"   
  
"We didn't even detect the first rift which that   
ghost dragon came through," Venus pointed out. "It   
might be because of their jamming field."   
  
"So it could be anywhere," Jupiter realized. "We   
don't have time to track down a rift in a city this   
big."   
  
"We'll have to deal with it later," decided Moon.   
Her eyes passed to Shampoo's corpse. "Right now...."   
She sighed wearily, wondering when the killing would   
end.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ayame was not surprised to see that Shion was busy at   
his workstation when she reentered the control center,   
having the sense to at least change to dryer clothes   
before walking out of her room. She kept her soaking   
hair down, and knew it was likely a dead giveaway on   
her current mood, but Ayame didn't care at this point.   
  
"What're you doing?" she asked, her feet echoing   
against the metal grate stairs as she descended into   
the bowl.   
  
The mercenary did not look away from his monitor.   
"I finished inventory, and it seems that our dear   
friend Ami left us that which can get us past the   
energy shield."   
  
"Really," the leader said, unimpressed.   
  
"The void-ripper is still functional; it hasn't been   
touched at all," Shion explained. "We know that Hokuto   
found a way in and out of the shield, and I think it's   
because of her shadow powers."   
  
"So?"   
  
"So we tear open a hole from one end of the shield   
to the inside," he told her. "If Hokuto can bypass the   
shield using extra-planar means, why can't we?"   
  
Ayame's eyes brightened. "You know, that's the best   
thing you've come up with yet, Shion."   
  
"Of course," Shion added, "the trick is we've got to   
make two rifts, and that requires us actually moving   
the void-ripper into the empty space outside this   
plane. That requires a pretty big hole, considering   
the size of the engine."   
  
"Is it really necessary to thrust the whole engine   
into the rift?" asked Ayame. "The void-ripper itself   
isn't that big; can't we just run a cable into the   
first rift, then use it that way?"   
  
Shion turned in his seat, pausing to consider the   
suggestion. "Maybe... I guess it's worth a shot, eh?"   
  
"How many robots can we divert from other projects to   
send through the rifts?"   
  
"Considering we're out of droids because of what   
Sypha and Cinder did with them, and Kanna blew up   
fifty-two of the ones held here, and everybody wants   
all our resources anyway..." he held up his fingers and   
counted down. "I think we can pull three groups back   
without any major repercussions, plus the mole group,   
if you're through with them."   
  
"Pull back just the mole group," Ayame said. After   
all, it was a waste of time trying to bore a hole under   
the shield if the shield extended under the ground as   
well. "Set primary objective: destroy the shield   
generator. Get them into position by dawn."   
  
---   
  
Ranko's Quarters, Crystal Palace   
  
Even at the lateness of the night, Ranma could not   
shake the thought of Hokuto from her mind.   
  
"I'll be waiting," she promised, just before   
disappearing hours earlier.   
  
It took all of her self-control to keep from slugging   
the Shadow Weaver good. Can't that girl see that I'm   
a girl, too?   
  
No, it probably didn't make much difference to her   
warped mind. Hokuto knows very well who I am and what   
I am... and unlike most people external appearance   
was not likely why she fell in love with Ranma Saotome.   
  
What she saw in a cursed guy like her was a mystery   
to Ranma, and a subject Hokuto was reluctant to   
elaborate on.   
  
Why did she have to be the one to find the time to   
spend on romantic ventures? Ranma wondered.   
  
She slipped quietly out of her room, keeping in mind   
that, the sooner she assembled the crystal, the sooner   
she could ditch Hokuto's unwanted advances.   
  
Ranma paused for a second, wondering where the Sailor   
Senshi would keep the bodies of their enemies. Was   
there a some type of mini-morgue in the palace? No,   
not in the palace... under it. The basement....   
  
For the life of her Ranma had no idea how to get to   
the stairs down. As far as she could tell there wasn't   
any.   
  
Okay, Ranma, think. Where would you put the stairs   
to the basement?   
  
The answer, of course, was 'over there.' Certainly,   
in any arbitrary direction that Ranma could easily see.   
  
Well, she decided, I guess it wouldn't hurt to peek   
around a bit....   
  
---   
  
Docks, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Sailor Mercury never felt more cold or tired in her   
entire life as the escape craft finally puttered its   
way to shore.   
  
In her haste to escape she failed to note that the   
escape vehicle was an old Mishima model-- the type of   
machinery that possessed an inherent flaw in its   
design somewhere, something the Mishima Heavy   
Industries of old was known for until they replaced the   
chief engineer. It would have been nice to notice that   
the craft did not possess its own motive force; it   
forced Mercury to paddle the craft back to shore with   
a simple makeshift rudder machine.   
  
Every turn of the paddles, every step of the way,   
Mercury's thoughts were hammered by Shizuka's words.   
  
Betrayal, friendship, trust, priority, obligation,   
honor, justice... all were themes of the mental   
attacks, and although Shizuka had not communicated   
since she was last napping Mercury could feel the   
repercussions nonetheless. Each word was driven   
precisely and expertly like knives, each piercing her   
mind from different angles.   
  
There was no regret for what she did; Mercury knew   
what she was getting into, and knew the risks involved   
well... which was why she never asked any of the others   
to do the job in her stead. The problem was she   
allowed herself to sympathize with their cause, and   
Mercury wondered if it had something to do with her   
constant exposure to the black crystal shard she left   
behind.   
  
She wondered if Death Phantom was only pretending to   
forget who she was, and he did something to her during   
that time.   
  
Mercury shook her head, sighing wearily. She   
glanced off toward the direction of the Crystal   
Palace, now surrounded by a shimmering, rainbow-hued   
energy shield.   
  
There wasn't much time left, she knew, but now her   
problem was getting past the shield herself.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries,   
The Next Day   
  
Shion punched in more keys on his console as he did   
not like what he was seeing on the monitor. He blinked   
and rubbed his eyes, even stared closer, but it would   
not go away. It had absolutely nothing to do with his   
apparent lack of sleep.   
  
Instantly he was on the horn, grabbing his headset   
and turning on the microphone. He patched himself   
through to whoever it was that answered the call down   
at the hanger bay.   
  
"Hello?" he heard from a squeaky technician.   
  
"Tell me the Metal Smasher's there," Shion said,   
although his tone suggested that he already knew the   
answer.   
  
A slight pause. "Nope, sir, it's gone."   
  
"What do you mean, 'gone?'" the mercenary demanded,   
instantly drawing Ayame's attention. He heard her   
approach, and felt her overbearing presence over his   
shoulder.   
  
"It left a little while ago," the technician   
explained. "Ms. Mishima asked me to install the Mekani   
device onto it, and...."   
  
"Wait a minute," Shion ordered, spinning around in   
his seat. He eyed Ayame carefully. "What are you up   
to?" he asked, momentarily cutting off the microphone.   
  
"What?" the leader said, sounding surprised.   
  
"The guy down there says you gave the order to   
install the void-ripper onto the Metal Smasher, and now   
it's gone." He pointed to the monitor. "According to   
this, you're the one who checked it out, and yet you're   
still standing here in front of me."   
  
He stood up in his seat and stared the girl down.   
"Who are you?"   
  
Ayame offered a weak smile, and then exploded into   
soft, white feathers. In the blink of an eye Shion saw   
her height change, her features melt into new, yet   
recognizable, features. The old man waving the   
feather fan replaced the girl.   
  
"You," Shion said, recognizing the old man Higure.   
  
"It is too late," he said. "Ayame made her decision,   
and there is no reason to stop her."   
  
It all made sense now. "Ayame's going to try and   
finish the fight all by herself."   
  
"She is personally leading her machines out to   
battle," added Higure. "We estimate that, if we power   
on the void-ripper ahead of time, it would have   
sufficient charge to function for five hours, or around   
three Metal Smasher-sized rifts, whichever comes first.   
Therefore, there is no reason to take the heavy   
engine, too."   
  
"That idiot," the mercenary hissed, "what does she   
think she's doing?"   
  
---   
  
Palace Gates, Crystal Palace   
  
The mechanical monstrosity was easily twice the size   
of the Mishima robots, and it resembled a cockpit   
mounted on two chicken legs. On each side of the   
vehicle was a modified buster weapon, replacing the   
old gattling cannons due to lack of ammunition. The   
cockpit window was opaque from the outside, and merely   
tinted on the inside against the sunlight.   
  
Ayame sat alone in the cramped cockpit, her hands   
firmly clamped on the driving levers as she stared at   
the energy shield. The flower-like void-ripper was   
jury-rigged to the front of the cockpit, a hasty   
assembly that was rather fragile, but would do the job   
just as well.   
  
The radio to her left crackled to life, and the   
leader knew who it was already.   
  
"Ayame!" she heard Shion yell, as predicted. He was   
so predictable at times. "What the hell do you think   
you're doing?!"   
  
"What does it look like?" she replied, slipping her   
hand over the radio toggle. Ayame felt it was a wasted   
effort now that her soaked clothing was plastered to   
the chair. At least Master Higure did his part in   
distracting the jerk.   
  
"Why?" he demanded.   
  
"Think about it, Shion," Ayame explained. "Four   
peoples' deaths are on my head, three people betrayed   
us, and I don't want to be responsible for any more of   
it. I'm through being leader."   
  
"Don't give me that bullshit!" the mercenary yelled   
angrily. "Don't you run away!"   
  
"I never asked to be leader," she continued. "I   
don't care which of you wants it, you can have it. I   
can't stand it anymore, so to make up for it I'm going   
to finish endgame all by myself."   
  
"You can't!" Shion pleaded. "Not by yourself! I'll   
get Kodachi, or Mousse, or...."   
  
"Leave them out of it!" Ayame snapped. "They're free   
to do as they please; it doesn't matter. I won't take   
responsibility for others anymore, you understand?"   
  
"Ayame, wait...!!!" She had no inclination to hear   
whatever it was Shion was trying to say, cutting off   
the transmission.   
  
No 'good-byes' were necessary. Not one of them would   
miss such a screw-up as Ayame Mishima.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
To Ranma, this was the least obvious place to put   
dead bodies.   
  
In one of the adjoining rooms near the center of the   
palace, obviously within an easy distance for the   
queen to get to, three bodies were laid out on crystal   
slabs, each resting with their arms crossed over their   
chests, their wounds cleaned and dressed, such that   
each of them looked to be in mere slumber.   
  
She checked each and every one of the notes hanging   
at the foot of the slabs. "Tatewaki Kuno. Cause of   
death: heart crystal removed. Miranda Kusao. Cause of   
death: heart crystal removed. Shampoo. Cause of   
death: heart crystal removed."   
  
Of course... all of them died in the exact same way,   
if the circumstances were different. The bastard   
queen was stealing their souls.   
  
It hardly took long for Ranma to find Kuno's bokken,   
as it was resting to the body's left. Picking it up   
the martial artist found that it was indeed heavier at   
the handle. She found that the end was a screw cap,   
and quickly undid it to reveal the black crystal shard.   
  
Holding it up to the light Ranma saw that it was   
undamaged... for the most part. It was riddled with   
minor scratches, obviously a consequence of having it   
hidden inside a swinging weapon. Ranma pocketed the   
shard and headed for Shampoo.   
  
Despite the best works to mask her pain and torment   
Shampoo looked as if she were burned alive, even though   
her expression was as serene as the other two. Ranma   
winced, and suddenly the idea of pilfering dead bodies   
was revolting to her.   
  
Where would she keep it, anyway?   
  
There was no sign of the shard in her pockets, nor   
in her shoes, sleeves, hair, or any other place Ranma   
could think of without violating the body. And somehow   
she knew that Shampoo wouldn't be so sneaky as to hide   
the shard; it simply wasn't her style.   
  
Taking in a deep gulp, Ranma reached her hand down   
Shampoo's shirt.   
  
"What're you doing?!" she heard a man shout.   
  
It was too late, however, as Ranma found it dangling   
from a necklace inside Shampoo's shirt. She turned   
toward the man, who was obviously some kind of doctor,   
or even a mortician, ripping the necklace off the   
Chinese Amazon's corpse in the process.   
  
"I've no time for you!" she cried, pulling off   
Shampoo's left shoe and throwing it at the man.   
  
Her attack found its mark, as the shoe clocked the   
doctor in the head, taking him out for the count.   
Quickly Ranma was at his side, and dragged him inside   
before anyone else could see the downed man.   
  
Several seconds later Ranma was already on her way   
back to her quarters, having obtained six black crystal   
shards all by herself.   
  
It doesn't matter if they find out I did that, she   
decided. It'll be over real soon.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
"Oh, that's just great," Venus muttered, watching the   
main viewscreen as a planar rift opened on the inside   
of the shield. "They're coming through!"   
  
The rift grew quickly, and as Fenril robots entered   
through the rift on the outside they instantly appeared   
on the inside, each ready for battle. The only good   
count on the side of the palace's defenders was the   
fact that these robot models were armed with heavy   
drills rather than projectile weapons, meaning they   
were designed for boring rather than fighting.   
  
On the other hand, if she knew the Fenril Knights,   
those machines could fight just as well even if they   
were armed with only drills.   
  
"Tell everybody what's going on," she told the   
nearest technician. "I'm going down there."   
  
---   
  
One after another Ayame watched the URANOS boring   
robots enter the rift, and she could barely make out   
their work on the inside of the shield. Spinning their   
drill bits madly the robots began to tear away at the   
crystal walls that made up the palace.   
  
The goal was simple and effective; a building with no   
legs to stand on collapsed on itself, taking out   
anything unfortunate enough to be under it.   
  
She counted to twenty, allowing the last URANOS   
through before sitting up in her chair. Now it was   
her turn to enter.   
  
---   
  
Mercury watched the Mishima command vehicle enter the   
rift after the last of the robots, and she was certain   
that was the void-ripper attached to it.   
  
So they figured out a way in, she thought. I should   
have taken out the Mekani device while I had the   
chance.   
  
On the other hand, this offered her a perfectly good   
way to get inside without lowering the shield.   
  
---   
  
By the time Ayame entered the confines of the energy   
shield she saw that the Sailor Senshi were already at   
work tearing the URANOS pack apart. She maneuvered the   
cockpit and aimed its side-mounted busters at the   
nearest enemy, and squeezed the trigger.   
  
Liquid ice spewed out of the weapons inspired by the   
Fire Buster Mark III, and the target, Sailor Venus, had   
the sense to get out of the way, allowing the URANOS   
she was attacking to get iced. Ayame chuckled to   
herself as the hulk, frozen solid, fell over and   
crashed against the wall it was boring, shattering into   
a million pieces.   
  
She wondered how long it would take for the Sailor   
Senshi to destroy all the robots... and knew that no   
matter how quick they did it at least one wall would   
fall from the palace.   
  
The cockpit recoiled from a blow, and Ayame saw that   
Sailor Jupiter was sending lightning bolts her way.   
The electrical energy dissipated harmlessly, and Ayame   
was thankful the engineer who designed the Metal   
Smasher had the foresight to include a grounding   
mechanism. She brought the busters to bear and fired   
more ice shots, but none found their target.   
  
"Neo Queen Serenity," she shouted, picking up her   
radio and broadcasting outside the Metal Smasher, "come   
out and we'll deal with this like women!"   
  
"You there!" she heard, the voice filtered back   
through into the cockpit. Ayame spied another Sailor   
Senshi, one she did not recognize.   
  
"Who're you?"   
  
"I am Sailor Moon!" she declared. "Champion of love   
and justice!" She waved her hands around in some kind   
of funny gesture. "On behalf of the moon, I'll punish   
you!"   
  
"Punish this!" Ayame cried, aiming her sights on the   
offending girl.   
  
Sailor Moon dodged the buster blasts, and Ayame   
wished that the weapons fired faster. Setting the   
Smasher into gear the heavy legs trampled over the   
palace's lawn after Moon, firing all the way. Despite   
the fact that the target was evading every attack, she   
was clearly running out of running space.   
  
And then Sailor Moon had the bright idea of running   
under the Metal Smasher, and Ayame cursed her luck.   
She quickly swiveled the cockpit around, just in time   
to see a spray of light wash over the window, blinding   
her. Shielding her eyes with one hand Ayame reached   
down and fired off more random shots, hoping one of   
them would plug the more maneuverable warrior.   
  
No such luck, however, as the Metal Smasher lurched   
forward, then to the side, then from the other side,   
and then from behind. Ayame knew her robots were   
through, and now she was getting hammered on all sides   
by the four Sailor Senshi.   
  
Blinking her eyes back to normal levels, she saw that   
Sailor Moon was directly ahead, holding out her wand,   
ready to blast.   
  
Well, we'll see about that, Ayame thought, reaching   
for the makeshift control of the Mekani flower device.   
  
---   
  
The moment Mercury stepped through the rift, she knew   
the void-ripper was getting ready to fire. Violet   
lightning danced across the petals, collecting at the   
center, with Sailor Moon as the intended target.   
  
In an instant she knew what the Fenril was up to;   
instead of simply tearing a hole in the dimensional   
fabric the pilot was attempting to use the void-ripper   
as a miniature black hole generator. Her mind raced   
back to the Mekani War, and she knew at this point the   
rift to vacuum would devastate the palace and everyone   
else within the shield.   
  
Which also meant the pilot had a death wish.   
  
She wanted to shout a warning to Sailor Moon, but   
knew she would not stop the void-ripper in time.   
  
It happened in an instant.   
  
Sparks burst from the Mekani device, having suddenly   
lost its power concentration. In the blink of an eye   
the device exploded, forcing Mercury to shield her   
eyes from the intense heat. Her ears deafened to the   
blast as it roared and ricocheted off the interior of   
the energy shield many times.   
  
Blinking her eyes back to normal levels she barely   
caught sight of an individual, dressed in black, run   
into her. Mercury lost her balance as the unknown   
person passed by, disappearing into the rift.   
  
The fleeing individual pushed out of her mind,   
Mercury saw the Fenril machine had crashed into the   
side of the palace, and a moment later the rest of the   
wall collapsed on top of it, having its supports   
weakened, likely by the drilling robots. For a moment   
she wondered who the pilot was, and if he or she was   
alright.   
  
Not that they'd want her concern, after what she did   
to them.   
  
Quickly she rushed to Sailor Moon's side, as she   
stood her ground, staring at the rubble that claimed   
the Fenril machine.   
  
"Sailor Mercury!" she exclaimed.   
  
"Sorry I'm late," Mercury said. "I wish I'd made it   
here sooner." Changing the subject, she added, "We   
have to seal the rifts, before more of them get   
through."   
  
Sailor Moon nodded, grasping her wand tighter, and   
turned do her work. Mercury glanced back at the   
rubble, and saw that the others were busy trying to   
get the debris off the toppled machine's cockpit.   
  
"Well, here goes," she told herself, joining her   
friends.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Why did you let her go?" demanded Shion, staring   
up at Higure angrily. "Well?"   
  
"I took responsibility for Ami Mizuno's actions,   
since I brought her in," the old man replied. "When I   
submitted myself to Ayame she asked me to keep you busy   
until morning as punishment. As you can see, she did   
not wish for anyone else to get hurt in her stead."   
  
"She's a freakin' idiot, that's what," the mercenary   
snapped. "Who the hell does she think she is, running   
off like that without telling anyone?"   
  
"She is our leader."   
  
"Damn straight." Turning around in his seat, Shion   
leaned back against his chair, and sighed.   
  
"Shall I bring Kanna back from her mission?" asked   
Higure.   
  
"No, don't bother," he replied. "Kanna'll get the   
job done much sooner than lead us. Does that make me   
leader by default, or are we leaderless?"   
  
"Do you want an answer to that?"   
  
Shion offered a weak smile. "No."   
  
---   
  
Palace Gates, Crystal Palace   
  
When the cockpit window was finally opened, Mercury   
was the only one surprised to find that Ayame Mishima   
was the one inside, as she was the only one who knew   
what she looked like.   
  
"Ayame," Mercury gasped.   
  
"Pff, Mizuno," Ayame said, lying back in her seat,   
apparently unharmed by the collapse of wall. "How'd I   
know it'd be you I see when the sunlight comes in?"   
  
"You know her?" asked Jupiter.   
  
Mercury nodded. "She's the leader of the Fenril   
Knights."   
  
At the mention of that, the girl started laughing, in   
a low, eerie tone.   
  
"What's so funny?" demanded Mars.   
  
"You haven't a clue," Ayame replied.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
"We've got Ayame in a cell for now," Venus informed   
Sailor Moon, as all five Sailor Senshi gathered in the   
council room for the first time in a while. "That   
girl creeps me out, the way she's laughing."   
  
"What about the metal beast?" asked Moon.   
  
"It's going to be hard to move without any of the   
right equipment," answered Jupiter, "so I think we're   
going to have to live with that thing lying there for   
a while."   
  
"Something disrupted the power flow of that Mekani   
device attached to the armor," Mercury added. "I went   
ahead and tried to piece together what happened to it   
already, and it may have something to do with our   
black-caped friend that ran through the rift before we   
closed it off."   
  
"Black-caped friend?" Moon blinked.   
  
"Don't you think that's a little conspicuous in a   
closed-off place like this?" asked Mars.   
  
"He may have come in the same time as the Fenril   
did," offered the soldier of water. "I think he did it   
because I found this in the wreckage of the Mekani   
device."   
  
She held up a burnt rose for all to see.   
  
"Tuxedo Kamen?" Sailor Moon said in surprise.   
  
"Or a copycat," Mars pointed out. "We know the real   
King Endymion is in Geneva... right?"   
  
Mercury shook her head. "We can't know for certain,   
so long as the Fenril are cutting off all ties outside   
the city."   
  
"Then that's the next item on the agenda," Venus   
declared. "We need to get out of here."   
  
---   
  
Prison, Crystal Palace   
  
Many would ask what was so amusing to Ayame as she   
lay in the single cot of the ten-by-ten cell. She   
stared up at the ceiling, still finding amusement that   
the turncoat Mizuno thought she was still the leader of   
the Sailor Senshi's enemy.   
  
"Why did you do it?"   
  
Ayame did not have to sit up to see the owner of the   
voice. "Don't you see? I'm completely worthless to   
the cause. It's much better off if I died; maybe   
everyone else could be spared the same fate."   
  
"Fate," Hokuto repeated, folding her arms within her   
traveling cloak as she stared down at the fallen   
leader. "You know nothing about Fate."   
  
"A cruel twist that none of us can take out Neo   
Queen Serenity in the process."   
  
"Neo Queen Serenity is Sailor Moon."   
  
"That's plain as day, Shadow Weaver. Any idiot   
knows that."   
  
Hokuto nodded. "The Metal Smasher can still   
function, even if the void-ripper is gone. You're   
fortunate that machine was built extremely well,   
otherwise you'd really be dead."   
  
"Who cares if I'm alive or not?" she asked honestly.   
"I spurned my parents, and let down the people that   
believed in me, whether they were pretending or not."   
  
"The others do care; the problem is, your cold airs   
routine backfired on you. You think you're alone in   
your position, but trust me, the others share the same   
sentiments as you do."   
  
"No they don't."   
  
"You have no idea what it is to be alone," Hokuto   
countered. "Before I met all you people, I was a   
wanderer; whenever something went wrong I'd run away.   
I never made friends, nor had family that cared about   
me, because I always kept to myself. That was before I   
met all of you."   
  
"You, Ayame Mishima, genuinely care about the people   
around you enough that you put your own, personal   
stakes aside to make it all work. The difference   
between you and me from then is that caring aspect.   
Did you not weep because you lost more lives, or   
because you take personal responsibility for Miranda's   
death?"   
  
Ayame refused to answer, and her need to laugh died   
with it.   
  
"Don't believe that nobody cares," Hokuto said in   
assurance. "Trust me, when word spreads that the   
leader of the Fenril Knights is defeated an in   
captivity, it won't end the war. They will come after   
you because you're their leader."   
  
---   
  
Ranko's Quarters, Crystal Palace   
  
Anything that drew attention away from her actions   
was a good thing in Ranma's book, she decided.   
  
She lay the six shards of black crystal on the desk   
before her, wringing her hands in anticipation of a   
power that could match that of the Sailor Senshi.   
  
Finally, we'll be able to fight on more even terms.   
  
On the other hand, now that she had the shards,   
Ranma had no idea what to do with them.   
  
Picking up two of the shards Ranma tried touching   
their points together, but saw that nothing was   
happening. Anger rising she grabbed a third one and   
tried to arrange them in a tripod formation, but that   
didn't seem to work, either. Grabbing a fourth she   
built a log cabin formation. Still nothing happened.   
  
"What the hell did I go through all this trouble for   
if you stinkin' baubles don't cooperate?!" the martial   
artist wanted to know.   
  
"You need another one."   
  
Ranma jumped in surprise, despite the fact that she   
should've been used to Hokuto's comings and goings by   
now. "Will you stop doing that already?!"   
  
"Sorry," she replied, sounding quite sincere. "You   
need the seventh one to trigger the fusion process. In   
that respect, you have to break one, and the other six   
will fuse to form the whole crystal."   
  
"And where the hell am I getting another one?!" Ranma   
shouted angrily. "Wait until someone else dies?"   
  
"No, the solution just dropped right into your lap,"   
the Shadow Weaver replied calmly. "Come with me and   
I'll show you."   
  
Ranma knew that wasn't a request, realizing she was   
sinking into Hokuto's extended shadow.   
  
---   
  
Palace of Solitude, Nemesis   
  
Sypha could not believe her day could get any better   
as she entered the cell which served as the new home of   
Sailor Uranus.   
  
The Sailor Senshi was hanging limp from her shackles,   
obviously out of energy from trying ot aggressively   
pull her way out. It was a pity that all that energy   
went to waste; Sypha could think of much more   
constructive things to do than struggle all night.   
  
"I hope you're at least conscious," the sorcerer   
said. Uranus made no move to respond. "It has come   
to my attention that there are three objects of power   
being held by you Sailor Senshi, ones that are   
traditionally known as the three sacred treasures of   
Japan."   
  
Still she made no reply.   
  
"How fortunate it was that you happened to be one of   
the bearers of said artifacts," Sypha said, her voice   
purring in delight. "With artifacts of their power   
Neo Queen Serenity's Silver Crystal would be no match   
for us. The trick is, of course, extracting said   
artifacts out of your persons. I imagine you and   
Neptune would not give them to us willingly, but we   
have ways around that."   
  
"I predict a bleak future for you," she continued,   
finally forcing a response out of Uranus when she   
raised her head. "You see, I've tortured many who   
thought they could defy me, and thus I've learned the   
science of inflicting pain. I imagine the process is   
going to be long, hard, and ultimately, fatal."   
  
"You can't win," the soldier spat defiantly.   
  
Sypha seized Uranus's head in her claws. "And I'm   
going to enjoy every second of it, Destroyer of   
Worlds. You think you're the will of Heaven? I AM   
Heaven!! You haven't had the benefit to know the   
wrath a Celestial can bring upon their enemy."   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Stay tuned for more.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	8. Shattered Mirror

Souls of Fire #8: Shattered Mirror   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Prison, Crystal Palace   
  
One thing that beat being cooped up in an underground   
command center was being cooped up in an underground   
prison cell.   
  
With a newly developed, jaded view on her life Ayame   
rest on the single cot that served as furniture for the   
ten-by-ten cell, folding her arms behind her head to   
stare at the ceiling. She imagined patterns in the   
crystal ceiling, pushing out all reason from her mind   
and simply allowing her thoughts to wander.   
  
I should've done this a long time ago, she realized.   
This is much less stressful than being the leader of a   
terrorist group.   
  
That was what it all boiled down to, unfortunately.   
They were branded the Fenril Knights, an obvious   
connotation to Norse mythology's Fenris Wolf. The   
creature was intended to slay the Midgard Dragon that   
circled the World Tree, but a poisonous bite turned the   
wolf against his masters. In effect, the connotation   
was 'traitor.'   
  
Her people have been called that long enough that   
Ayame was beginning to accept the name. If one is told   
a lie long enough, they are bound to accept it as truth   
eventually.   
  
At every turn the Sailor Senshi defeated her people   
and her company's robots. They flatten Wiseman's   
droids in no time flat, such that they were only good   
for target practice for the sailor-suited girls for the   
life span they averaged. Victory was nowhere in sight,   
and yet, Ayame couldn't help but feel it wasn't over.   
  
She wished it would be over, but Hokuto was right;   
the others wouldn't stop until they sprung her out of   
this cell.   
  
She heard a loud thump outside her cell, and knew it   
was heavy enough to be a body. Ayame knew there were   
no guards standing in the prison block itself, so she   
presumed it was Hokuto.   
  
Partially correct, she told herself, as a shivering,   
pig-tailed girl stepped into view.   
  
"Ayame," she said, her teeth chattering from an   
intense cold. Hokuto emerged from behind her, a soft   
expression on her face, yet sunken as usual.   
  
"Um, do I know you?" Ayame asked, sitting up in her   
cot.   
  
"Ayame," Hokuto introduced, "this is Ranma."   
  
Ayame blinked. "Ranma's a guy."   
  
"Never mind that," Ranma hissed. "That's neither   
here nor there. Gimmie your crystal."   
  
"What good will it do to you?" asked the leader,   
holding out her black crystal shard. "It's useless   
under the energy shield."   
  
"Just give it to me!"   
  
Her eyes turned toward Hokuto. "What's your game?"   
  
"Just give it to him," the Shadow Weaver suggested.   
"Ranma wants the power."   
  
"If 'Ranma' wants to break me out, he'd better find   
another way," Ayame replied. "I'm not going back."   
  
"I can't force you to go back," Hokuto said. "That's   
up to you, but you can't take responsibility for   
everything bad happening."   
  
"The others died because of my leadership."   
  
"Bullshit," Ranma spat. "The others died because Neo   
Queen Serenity is a soul-sucking leech."   
  
"What?" Ayame eyed the girl curiously.   
  
"I found their bodies," the martial artist explained.   
"Kuno, Shampoo, and Miranda, at least. All of them had   
their souls yanked out of 'em, otherwise they're still   
dead living."   
  
"What would she want with their souls?"   
  
Ranma shook her head. "How should I know? I just   
know what I saw." She reached her arms through the   
bars, trying to grab Ayame's crystal shard. "I need   
that thing to fight them."   
  
"You want this worthless piece of crap for power?"   
  
"I don't have time for this!"   
  
"No wonder Hokuto thinks you're Ranma; you're so   
butch, girl."   
  
"I AM Ranma, you idiot!"   
  
"What's going on down here?!"   
  
All three girls jumped in surprise, and eyes turned   
toward down the hall. The owner of the voice was none   
other than Sailor Mars, and behind her, the other four   
Sailor Senshi, obviously on the way to interrogate   
Ayame.   
  
Hokuto turned to face them, spreading her cloak out   
in order to cast a larger shadow. "We've no time for   
this," she muttered, and Ayame saw the Shadow Weaver   
extend her shadow down the hall.   
  
She pressed her face against the bars, trying to see,   
and managed to catch black hands emerge from the cast   
shadow and clutch on Mars's legs. With surprising   
strength and speed the hands dragged her into the   
darkness, as if the soldier of fire were falling into a   
trap door.   
  
"Stand back!" Hokuto warned. "Or which of you want   
to be next?"   
  
Ranma turned back to Ayame. "Look, we're out of time   
here, just give me the crystal."   
  
Sighing, Ayame lowered her head, staring straight   
down at the floor. Somewhere in her mind she knew that   
Hokuto's prophecy was coming true, unfolding right   
before her eyes. Was there much she could do to   
prevent it from happening?   
  
Unconsciously, she held out her arm, and unpried her   
fingers from around the black crystal shard.   
  
"Finally," Ranma said, getting her hands on the last   
crystal shard she needed to complete her plan.   
  
Ayame looked back up, and saw that the pig-tailed   
girl was in possession of six more shards. The girl   
picked one up, and, with one hand, crushed it. A   
violet, coursing energy emerged from her palm, and she   
used it to gather the rest of the six shards, seemingly   
crushing all of them as well, with surprising strength.   
  
Amidst startled gasps Ayame saw what the girl was   
doing when she completed her work; in her palm was a   
small, spherical-shaped, jagged crystal.   
  
"It's a black crystal!" one of the senshi shouted.   
  
Tying it around her neck, the girl known as Ranma   
began to course with power. The black crystal surged   
with energy, and Ayame and Hokuto had to step back from   
the intensity of the power. Black energy swirled at   
the girl's feet, rising upward quickly and at the same   
speeds, causing her to cry out in pain. Fire   
incinerated the girl's features, only to replace them   
with more sturdy, hardy features.   
  
When the swirl of energy finished Ayame gasped, and   
saw the one standing before her was indeed Ranma   
Saotome himself.   
  
"You!" she heard Jupiter shout.   
  
"And that's only the first part," the martial artist   
promised, clutching the black crystal dangling around   
his neck. Violet light emerged from the cracks between   
his fingers.   
  
"What the...?!" Ranma gasped, obviously surprised by   
the crystal's power. He screamed in terror and pain,   
as energy coursed from the crystal all around his body.   
Ranma threw his head and arms back, nearly bursting   
his shirt in the process, and seemed ready to fall over   
backward.   
  
Ayame took several steps back, and Hokuto did the   
same.   
  
The energy surge complete, Ranma remained hunched   
over, breathing heavily. Ayame could see his breath   
steam from his mouth and nostrils, and shied back   
further, only to realize that her cell simply wasn't   
big enough.   
  
Ranma's eyes darted in her direction, and it was   
Ayame's turn to scream. She saw a lust for blood in   
his eyes, without reason, and knew that she was going   
to be the first target.   
  
---   
  
"Chaos infusion," Sailor Moon realized, having   
witnessed the change in Ranma herself. "He's amplified   
the power of the Chaos cells within his body to push   
himself to the limits!"   
  
She aimed her wand, and fired.   
  
Ranma, his attention torn away from Ayame, feast his   
eyes on Sailor Moon as he batted the light burst away   
with his hands.   
  
Before she knew what hit her Ranma was on top of her,   
fist cocked back and augmented by what seemed like a   
tornado. But Jupiter was quick enough to stop him,   
blasting him back with a bolt of lightning, and giving   
Moon enough time to recover.   
  
"He's driven by instinct," Mercury realized. "Primal   
instinct of man."   
  
Spreading his arms out, Ranma let out a scream,   
throwing a tornado straight up from his standing   
position. Bits of crystal rained all about as the wind   
scattered it, and Sailor Moon saw that he was lifting   
himself up through his own tornado.   
  
"He's going to try and escape!" Venus shouted.   
  
Sailor Moon ran to the hole in the ceiling, seeing   
no sign of the chaotic martial artist. She cast her   
eyes in Hokuto's direction.   
  
The Shadow Weaver stepped back as a blackened shape   
emerged from her shadow. It glistened in the light   
like oil, and masked whatever features there was, but   
there was no doubt this was Sailor Mars.   
  
"What're you doing?" Sailor Moon asked.   
  
"I gave her a dip in the shadow stream," Hokuto said   
calmly. "Don't worry, she'll be alright... in time.   
But if you want to stay in this game, I suggest you   
try and stop him."   
  
Before any more questions could be asked, the   
Shadow Weaver melted back into darkness, sinking into   
her own shadow.   
  
They felt a rumbling from above. "He's trying to   
take down the shield," Mercury said.   
  
Time to make split decisions, Moon realized. "Venus,   
get that shield down. Mercury, watch Sailor Mars.   
Jupiter, we're going after your friend."   
  
---   
  
Ranma threw several more tornado blasts at the   
energy shield, unleashing all his pent-up frustrations   
on that which caged him.   
  
He felt the dark energy coursing through his veins,   
felt each and every cell in his body pumping and   
surging with unthinkable power. He felt everything go   
on automatic, as if his thought was only along for the   
ride.   
  
And yet, he knew what he was doing.   
  
In an instant, the shield collapsed before him, and,   
now that the offending cage was dispensed of, Ranma   
turned back toward the palace. He saw Sailor Moon and   
Sailor Jupiter emerge from the gates, and the martial   
artist smiled despite himself.   
  
"Sailor Moooooon...!" he grunted, licking his lips   
with anticipation.   
  
---   
  
Sailor Moon jumped out of the way as Ranma threw   
another tornado fist in her direction. The wind tore   
at the air, visibly spiraling dust and debris in its   
path. She felt her hair being torn back, and had it   
not been attached to her head she was certain she would   
have lost it.   
  
Another horizontal spiral flew over her head, and   
Moon knew this blast caught Jupiter. She heard the   
other's painful cry, and quickly cast a glance backward   
to see that she was being slammed into the wall behind   
her. The tornado blast drilled her into the crystal,   
sending splinters of shards everywhere and pushing   
Jupiter further through.   
  
That was pushing it.   
  
She stood up defiantly, the thought of her friend   
in her dire predicament fueling her courage. Ranma   
merely stood there, breathing heavily, laboring for   
air, hunched over with his arms dangling down before   
him, as if all the energy he was expending was finally   
taking its toll. At the same time Sailor Moon pitied   
the unknowing man and felt the need to punish him.   
  
"No matter what cause you fight for, I can't forgive   
you for what you've done!" she declared, and Ranma made   
no sign of reaction contrary to his current behavior.   
She spun out her wand in readiness. "Moon...."   
  
However, before she could completely power up her   
wand Ranma sprung into action, catapulting toward Moon   
with a tornado propelling his feet. Flinching in   
surprise her energy blast was interrupted, as she   
hastily and instinctively raised her arms to block the   
tackle.   
  
A sharp zing flew across her hearing, and Moon found   
that she'd also instinctively closed her eyes. Ranma   
was standing no more than a couple meters away from   
her, supporting his right arm with his left for one   
reason or another. He removed his hand, and she saw   
that his arm was cut swiftly, and Ranma turned around   
and crushed the offending rose.   
  
She turned to look toward the probable source of the   
rose, and saw what she thought she would never see   
again. Standing on a nearby street light pole was a   
fellow in a black cape, allowing it to flow with the   
wind. The newcomer, sure enough, was dressed in a   
black tuxedo and top hat, but wore a full facial clay   
mask, an eerie smile painted across its face.   
  
"Tuxedo Kamen?" she whispered in surprise.   
  
Wordlessly, the caped guardian vaulted up into the   
air and over the buildings, disappearing from view.   
Sailor Moon tore her eyes away from her mysterious   
savior, and reaffirmed her grip on her wand.   
  
That mystery would have to wait, she decided. She   
raised the wand high, the head sparkling with energy,   
and shouted the healing incantation.   
  
White light bathed Ranma's features as he roared in   
pain. The violet energy of the black crystal around   
his neck scattered in all directions, the light   
restoring the body to its proper function in an   
instant.   
  
The martial artist collapsed face-first on the   
ground at Sailor Moon's feet, and she wiped her   
forehead, wondering how the battle could've been so   
easy. Ranma, empowered by Chaos, effectively   
outclassed her normal abilities, and yet he lacked the   
endurance to carry the fight on for more than five   
minutes.   
  
She remembered there was a black crystal still   
hanging around his neck. If that device was still   
functional then the nightmare was only beginning, for   
both of them.   
  
"Don't come any closer," Ranma warned, slowly lifting   
himself from the crystal-layered pavement.   
  
Moon stopped in her tracks. "What the...?"   
  
Quickly, the martial artist was on his feet. His   
right arm hung slightly limp at his side while his left   
was searching his pockets for something. "I don't know   
how you got past my attacks, but we ain't through yet."   
  
What he produced was a radio transmitter. "Okay,   
Dragonfly, give me Priority One extraction."   
  
Sailor Moon turned her head to the air, realizing   
it was the source of a sudden buzzing sound. A shadow   
quickly concealed the morning sun, and a rope brushed   
by her. She turned and saw that Ranma reached for the   
rope that hung from the air, and followed it all the   
way up to a large, insect-shaped airship.   
  
"Don't think we're through," Ranma promised in his   
crude manner. "I don't quit easily; next time it's   
just you and me."   
  
She watched as the dragonfly-like airship and Ranma   
disappeared into the horizon quickly, and thought   
better of giving chase. She turned back toward Sailor   
Jupiter, who was already pulling herself out of the   
crushed wall.   
  
"Jupiter!" she cried. "Are you okay?"   
  
The other girl merely smiled as she held her head up.   
"Yeah... nothing like a little wind's going to take me   
out."   
  
---   
  
Shizuka's Quarters, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Shion felt silly about himself, as he let himself   
inside after customarily knocking, knowing no one was   
up to answer it anyway.   
  
The room remained dark, save for one low-level heat   
lamp near the bed where Shizuka lay, likely for the   
coiled reptile. Her boa constrictor, Thanatos, lay   
curled in a bundle, draped all over his master's prone   
body, aware but obviously disturbed from his sleep.   
Shion waved the snake 'hello,' also out of habit, as   
he'd come to know Thanatos as rather intelligent-- for   
a reptile.   
  
"Hey there," he said, although his words were   
directed more at Shizuka than at Thanatos. "Sorry I   
couldn't get the chain gun you wanted; the guys in   
Vegas I contacted couldn't scrounge one up before I had   
to come back."   
  
The mercenary glanced to one wall, where, held by   
racks, were both of Shizuka's 'hand-me-down' swords, as   
she referred them, and her favorite, old-style,   
manual loading shotgun, with six bullets held on the   
rack mounted on top of it. Between the two sets of   
weapons Shion knew Shizuka liked the gun even more, but   
still refused to part with the swords, likely on a   
point of honor.   
  
She loved guns.   
  
"Things're going to Hell now that Mizuno turned on   
us," Shion continued. "Ayame ran out on her own, and   
now she's a prisoner of the Sailor Senshi. Kanna's   
out trying to take over the world... and she won't be   
back soon enough to make a difference. That leaves me   
with the unenviable position of leader. I'm sure you'd   
be laughing right now."   
  
"I need to get Ayame back," he punctuated. "I've got   
some of the guys working on a solution, but... I wish   
you were here to help me." He lowered himself to his   
knees, leveling his head to Shizuka's. "I mean, it's   
been so long since we've... well... talked. You're so   
close and yet so far, it's... silly."   
  
He shook his head, standing back to his feet. "No.   
I've got to stay focused. Everything rides on me now,   
and no manner of pining is going to do any of us any   
good. If I'm lucky, you'll wake up and never know that   
I got to wear your 'Big Hat' for a while."   
  
Thanatos flicked his forked tongue at the mercenary,   
and Shion turned his attention to the creature. "Uh,   
you'd better not tell her I said all that, okay? I   
know you; don't even think about it or I won't feed you   
tonight."   
  
Again, the snake flicked his tongue. Shion sighed,   
knowing that he'd have to feed the reptile anyway.   
  
Silently, he backed out of the priestess's quarters,   
leaving the serene girl, her snake, and the unseen   
observer alone in the darkness.   
  
"Why," Hokuto asked the boa constrictor, as she   
stepped out of her dark corner, "can't he admit his   
feelings even when Shizuka can't hear him? Could it   
be that I'm too overbearing in my approach, or is he   
afraid of rejection?"   
  
The snake made no motion to reply, ignoring the   
Shadow Weaver completely to resume his nap.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
"I've had time to fully review the data I've   
downloaded into my computer," Mercury explained to the   
other Sailor Senshi, as she stood by a projection of   
her data on a wall screen. "Mainly, this concerns the   
seventeen Fenril Knights themselves."   
  
"While we initially believed that all of them were   
powerful warriors, like martial artists, it's been   
proven that Death Phantom didn't pick them on the   
basis of physical prowess alone, but also intellectual   
abilities, connection, and charm."   
  
The projected image changed to show a profile of   
Ayame, the first of the Fenril Knights. Any further   
attempt to draw information out of her ended in vain,   
as she was too terrified by the thought of getting   
killed by Chaos Ranma, as they've dubbed his powered   
condition.   
  
"Ayame Mishima was most likely chosen because of her   
connection to Mishima Heavy Industries, formerly a   
member of three rising arms suppliers and technology   
developers. They have known ties to other,   
untrustworthy organizations with similar goals, and it   
is from them that they got their hands on the Mekani   
device." Mercury shook her head. "But that's only   
part of it. Not only did she have the connection,   
Ayame also possessed charisma-- enough to bind the   
others together and focus them on one goal."   
  
"Something rather difficult with varied minds like   
them," Venus added.   
  
"And ego to match," Mars said, looking a little pale   
in complexion after her unspeakable experience in the   
shadow stream. It seemed to be the unspoken rule of   
the house that no one made mention of her momentary   
side trip to the primal elemental zone.   
  
Mercury nodded in agreement. "In fact, she was all   
but failing. Two have deserted their organization,   
and four have died. Ayame thinks she's responsible for   
all of this, and that's why she attacked us alone."   
  
"The burden may be hard on her," Sailor Moon   
commented sympathetically.   
  
"We have to figure out what we're going to do with   
her, too," Sailor Venus said.   
  
The display changed to display the second profile.   
Mercury continued, "This one's Shion Kagami, a   
freelance programmer. Not much background could be   
found on him, as he's likely covered it all up. I   
think he's much more than what he says he is, but that   
may be difficult to find out; his skills can match my   
own."   
  
"Met your match?" Jupiter jabbed in a friendly   
manner.   
  
"In any case it's not readily-apparent what he   
brings to the Fenril Knights," the soldier of water   
said, moving on. The third profile came up. "Kanna   
Rajura, also known as the Crystal Spider. Reputedly   
she studies military history to become a great   
tactician; this likely is what she brings to the Fenril   
Knights. She's also known to be a childhood friend of   
Shion's, but I'm not sure how far that relationship   
goes."   
  
"No wonder she drifted to their side," Sailor Moon   
said. "Her studies gravitated toward a world with   
conflict, and joining them provided one."   
  
"The next is Ranma Saotome, who I'm sure we're all   
familiar with," Mercury continued, switching to the   
fourth profile. "There isn't a lot of documents on   
him, but he's known to be a brilliant martial artist   
and highly sought for his abilities."   
  
"The fifth is Ryoga Hibiki; he's Ranma's rival, and   
supposed to be a good match for him."   
  
"Good thing he's on our side," Jupiter muttered.   
  
The sixth profile produced yet another familiar face   
to the gathered senshi. "Shizuka Minazuki, a priestess   
in practice, hunter by trade. She willingly puts her   
life on the line to hunt demons causing general   
problems to people. Apparently, she was sent to the   
Shrine of the Four Gods when she was four; the reason   
is not specified, but her parents and siblings are   
still alive and well."   
  
"That could prove crucial in turning her to our   
side," Sailor Mars pointed out. "This means she does   
have a family left."   
  
"The seventh is Tatewaki Kuno, who I will omit only   
for the fact that he's dead. The eight is his kid   
sister, Kodachi. Her profile conflicts with our   
current information on her, as she is a rhythmic   
gymnast, and yet she fights like a kendoist." Mercury   
shook her head. "It almost seems as if she took up   
the sword in her brother's memory."   
  
"The ninth is Miranda Kusao, who was a martial   
artist on par with Ranma's abilities. The tenth is   
Shampoo, a powerful warrior from China. She, too, is   
no longer a threat to us, but the next one, Mousse, may   
prove as such. His martial art is based on weapons,   
and he mastered many, so his attacks are varied. One   
Achilles Heel, though, may be in his glasses; he can't   
see well without them."   
  
"I'll keep that in mind," Sailor Moon replied.   
  
The twelfth profile appeared on the projection.   
"This is Higure Furui, the one who recruited me. He   
seems like a thinker to me, and there's no real   
information in his profile. I think, if there's any   
chance of turning the Fenril Knights to our side, he's   
the key; Master Higure encourages thinking among his   
fellows, and is less likely to stand against us."   
  
"The next is the one known as Pantyhose Taro; his   
name was given to him by a martial artist, and by the   
law of his people he can't change his name unless he   
got a new one from his namer."   
  
"Yes, we know about him," Moon voiced. "His   
whereabouts are unknown."   
  
"He's otherwise a very powerful martial artist, and   
despite that he's not very well-liked by the others."   
Mercury moved on to the fourteenth profile. "Ukyo   
Kuonji...."   
  
"Her, huh?" Jupiter said. "The girl with the big   
spatula?"   
  
"You saw her?" asked Mercury.   
  
"Yeah, we had a little scuffle."   
  
"We don't know where she is," Mercury added. "She   
is apparently a professional chef as well as a martial   
artist, but neither of those are likely the reasons   
why she's with the Fenril Knights."   
  
"She said it was because of her friends, I think,"   
Jupiter offered. "That girl seemed pretty mad about   
that."   
  
"In any case it's her contact with the people that   
makes her desirable. Many report she carries a certain   
charm about her, as she seems very friendly to   
everybody. If that's any indication, it may be easy to   
sway her as well."   
  
Mercury ran through the next two profiles quickly, as   
each turned up a blank slate and no pictures. "These   
two are Cinder and Sypha Blade, respectively. No data   
can be found on either of them, and I've never seen   
them, much less heard of them, during my time with the   
Fenril Knights."   
  
Switching to the last profile, the other Sailor   
Senshi were not surprised to see a familiar face. "She   
is Hokuto Takemasa, known esper, and of a hereditary   
order called Shadow Weavers, the users of shadow.   
Their role is to observe events, but Hokuto's task goes   
far beyond that; she claims she can see the future   
before it happens."   
  
"A prophet?" asked Mars.   
  
"She's apparently adept at occult readings," Mercury   
added quickly. "That's likely where she gets her   
'knowledge' from. Others describe her as reclusive and   
mysterious, so not many people know what she's really   
after."   
  
"A dangerous opponent, yet," Sailor Moon pointed out.   
"If she took the time to fight us rather than   
observe, the Fenril Knights could have beaten us much   
sooner."   
  
"Her shadow power draws from the shadow stream,"   
Sailor Mars pointed out. "She couldn't do us in before   
because the regions beyond this plane are restricted by   
the Silver Crystal's power."   
  
"Yeah, the rift must be the key," Venus said in   
agreement. "Is there any information about the rift's   
location?"   
  
Sailor Mercury shook her head. "None of that   
information was in the computer, but Ayame may know   
where it is."   
  
"But why should she tell us?" Jupiter wondered. "She   
may be our prisoner, and a reckless one at that, but I   
don't think she's ready to betray her pals."   
  
"If we can't convince her to tell us, we might have   
to use her own misgivings as backup," Venus suggested.   
"Sure, all we know is why she attacked us, but she had   
a very good chance to get away, and she didn't take   
it."   
  
"That's true," agreed Mercury.   
  
"So who wants to talk to her?" Sailor Moon asked   
finally.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
A large, rectangular slab decorated the center of the   
command bowl, having been hastily erected. A soft,   
feather pillow was placed near the head, and a large,   
blinding white light hung overhead, attached to several   
pieces of complex machinery. Resting on the man-sized   
slab was a pair of iron knuckles, appearing no more   
special than any other hand-held weapon.   
  
Shion and Higure entered quietly, their steps echoing   
off the steel grate stairs as they descended into the   
bowl. The old man stood off to the left side from the   
head, and Shion to the right, both staring at the   
knuckles lying on the slab.   
  
"Are you certain you are up to this?" Higure asked,   
concern in his voice. "This is not unlike the path   
Ayame chose."   
  
"I know what I'm doing," Shion replied confidently,   
picking up the knuckles. He quickly and quietly   
slipped both knuckles on, flexing his fingers against   
the stiff devices.   
  
Flicking a finger, a thin wire flew out from under   
it, sourcing from the knuckle. The wire stopped in   
its path, quickly coiling in the air expertly. He   
jerked his finger back, recalling the wire back to its   
original position.   
  
"The Lightning Dragon Wire," Higure explained, "is a   
powerful Orochi weapon. Not only do you have complete   
control over the wire, but you can send electrical   
pulses through them and shock your enemy. In this same   
manner, by planting the wires into certain spots of a   
creature you can manipulate his movements like a   
puppet, using electrical pulses to control body   
functions."   
  
"However, after a month the weapon will have taken an   
affinity for your body, and the wires will be   
permanently grafted to your body. The knuckles will   
vanish, and you'll become the user of lightning until   
the day you die."   
  
"Then all I have to do is make sure I don't wear this   
thing that long," Shion determined. He pulled himself   
over the slab and lay on his back, staring straight up   
at the light, and resting his head against the soft   
pillow. It truly felt uncomfortable to lie there.   
  
"Even though I didn't invent it," he continued, "I   
helped define the Internet the way it is today; every   
trick in the book should still work for me. Key   
points in hardware and software can be exploited at the   
touch of a button, but now I need more than a simple   
keyboard to control it all. For no matter how   
brilliant the human mind is humans can only divert   
their attentions to one pursuit at a time."   
  
He raised his hands to the light. "That's where   
these Orochi weapons come in. These wires will allow   
me to divert my influence on the computer networks   
much easier, and I'll need all the advantage I can get   
when Mizuno decides to accept my challenge."   
  
Shion's eyes narrowed, hidden from Higure's view by   
his tinted glasses. "Mizuno," he muttered under his   
breath.   
  
Quietly, Higure slipped on a wired headband onto   
Shion's head, then turned away. Shion knew the old man   
was on his way to activate the machine, and a split   
second later he wondered if he was just as crazy as   
Ayame.   
  
He shook his head. Of course not.   
  
Saotome returned only a while before with the   
Dragonfly, and he's a martial artist; he had real   
trouble fighting the Sailor Senshi even with his new   
black crystal necklace. Shion himself was no martial   
artist, much less a fighter at all, therefore he had to   
make up that deficiency with his other skills.   
  
To that end he decided to fight the Sailor Senshi in   
his own way, on his own terms. No matter what   
happened, Ayame Mishima's life was far more important   
than his could ever be.   
  
"Give me some juice," he ordered Higure.   
  
"Good hunting," said the old man, and Shion felt   
his senses dull as the machine consumed his mind.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
The moment the energy shield went down unexpectedly,   
the four technicians on duty started to panic.   
  
"What the heck...?!" one shouted. "Who ordered the   
power-down?"   
  
"I didn't do it!" another cried, raising his hands   
away from his console.   
  
"Everything's powering down by itself, and I do mean   
everything!" said a third.   
  
Sure enough, the moment the technician said that the   
lights of the security office dimmed along with the   
sudden shutdown of the computers. In the blink of an   
eye the four technicians were plunged into darkness,   
without any source of illumination.   
  
Their panicked screaming was only a fraction of the   
terror falling upon the palace's overworked staff.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
"What's going on?" demanded Sailor Moon, as all the   
lights of the chamber died, unfurling a curtain of   
darkness.   
  
The darkness was soon banished as Sailor Mars   
whipped up a small candle flame in her fingers, the   
fire dancing just micrometers over her gloves. "I   
think we've just got hit by another attack."   
  
---   
  
Palace Gates, Crystal Palace   
  
Kodachi Kuno rubbed her eyes in amazement, wondering   
if Shion's promise was for real.   
  
The palace that served as the home of the hated   
enemy was unprotected. The shimmering energy shield   
that prevented her from exacting vengeance on Sailor   
Venus was gone, at long last.   
  
She turned to Mousse, who was standing beside her   
with his arms folded in his sleeves. "It appears our   
mutual ally has come through for us!"   
  
"About time something's going right," he snorted.   
He looked over his shoulder, and found no one, to   
Mousse's continual disappointment. "Too bad there's   
only us left; we don't even have the robots anymore."   
  
None of the Master of Hidden Weapon's complaints   
fazed Kodachi, so focused on her goal. Their primary   
objective was to make use of the chaos Shion created   
in order to spring Ayame out of prison; while Kodachi   
was perfectly willing to do this favor her true goal   
was to find and destroy Sailor Venus.   
  
It didn't matter that there was no one left to help   
them out; Kodachi knew she was more than a match for   
the Sailor Senshi.   
  
"Shall we go?"   
  
Mousse bowed, and stood aside. "After you."   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
"What's our status?" asked Sailor Moon, as she and   
the other four Sailor Senshi entered the security   
office, with Mars in the lead.   
  
The technicians, suddenly finding themselves with a   
source of light, struggled to regain their composure   
in front of their leader. The head technician spoke   
up.   
  
"All power in the palace is off," he reported. "We   
don't know what's causing it, or...."   
  
His words were interrupted, as the main viewscreen   
flickered back to life. All eyes turned toward the   
now-white, blinding screen, and an image of the   
Mishima logo appeared.   
  
"Fenril Knights, of course," Venus muttered.   
  
"Greetings," they heard a voice say, echoing off all   
the speakers in the office. "Neo Queen Serenity?"   
  
"That's me," Moon replied, wondering how the Fenril   
knew she was there. Silently she eyed Mercury, who   
pointed up toward the ceiling, where a security camera   
was mounted under an opaque black dome.   
  
"He's turned on enough systems to communicate with   
us," Mercury explained.   
  
"Oh, Mizuno, so nice to hear from you again."   
  
"I wish I could say the same, Shion," she replied.   
  
"This is Shion, eh?" Jupiter commented, eyeing the   
other senshi carefully.   
  
"You girls have someone I want," the Fenril stated   
plainly. "I want her."   
  
"What makes you think we'll let you have her?" asked   
Sailor Mars.   
  
"Don't be ridiculous, I don't want Ayame, I want   
Mizuno... or whatever name she's going by these days."   
  
All eyes turned toward Sailor Mercury. She blinked   
in mild surprise. "Me?"   
  
"Surely you girls have the equipment, so why don't   
you join me on the network? Because if you don't, I   
can make life much, much harder than it already is."   
  
"Don't do it!" warned Moon. "It's a trap!"   
  
"But he's also offering us a chance to fight back,"   
Mercury pointed out. "Shion didn't have to do this;   
like he said, he can make our lives much worse than it   
is now, now that he's hacked into our computers."   
  
She produced her palm computer, and switched on her   
visor. Mercury took the seat of the nearest empty   
console, hooking her computer into the console's   
terminal and the visor to the computer.   
  
As she continued in her setup Sailor Moon turned   
toward the remaining three and the technicians. "See   
if you guys can find candles or something."   
  
"Leave that to us," volunteered the head technician.   
  
Nodding, she addressed the other three senshi. "You   
three split up and search the palace. Even though   
we're technically under attack, we're still without   
our energy shield. If you find any Fenril Knights,   
try to capture them."   
  
All three nodded in understanding. "Yes, Your   
Highness!"   
  
---   
  
Prison, Crystal Palace   
  
Darkness made no difference to Ayame as she stared   
up at the ceiling, pondering the day's events so far.   
  
She was less than a day incarcerated, and already   
someone tried to break her out. Ayame had no idea she   
was that popular among the others, but it hardly did   
anything to stave away the feelings pouring into her   
mind, consuming her thoughts.   
  
Thoughts of self-pity were thrown out the window when   
she saw the light from a flashlight, probably a heavy   
duty one, judging from how low to the ground it was.   
Ayame raised her hand to her eyes as the light shined   
in her face, blinding her.   
  
"Found her," declared a familiar voice, the owner of   
the flashlight.   
  
"Ayame?" she heard Kodachi shout from down the hall.   
  
In a moment the rhythmic gymnast, Ayame's former   
boss and mentor, appeared beside Mousse, each carrying   
a flashlight. Kodachi set hers down to the floor, and   
reached for the sword sheathed on her left.   
  
"Ha-hah!" she declared, laughing. "Prepare to be   
liberated!"   
  
"Don't bother," Ayame replied. "If you're planning   
on rescuing me... I don't want to be rescued."   
  
As if on cue the lights in the prison block flickered   
back on, and Mousse reached down and switched his   
flashlight off. But Kodachi's hand remained on her   
sword and sheath.   
  
"Would you care to explain your boss why?" she   
asked, purring slyly.   
  
"I'm not fit to be your leader," she replied in her   
canned response. On paper it should've been good   
enough an answer to get replaced, but somehow it didn't   
seem to work on these two.   
  
"Don't be stupid," Mousse hissed. "What makes you   
think being a prisoner is any better?"   
  
"The Sailor Senshi know how useless I am as a   
hostage," Ayame continued. "It doesn't matter what   
they do to me." She reached into her inner coat   
pocket, and produced a pair of black pills.   
  
"You're going to take the same drugs your uncle   
took," the weapons master realized. "You're intending   
to wipe the slate clean; is that it?"   
  
"Are you mad, woman?!" Kodachi shouted, her voice   
thundering and echoing enough that Ayame nearly dropped   
her pills.   
  
To Ayame's ears Kodachi sounded almost like her   
dead brother.   
  
"Have you no shame, hiding from your problems?!"   
she railed, unsheathing her sword and waving it around   
angrily. "What thought have you that suggest pain and   
suffering goes away at the insistence of drugs?!"   
  
"I'm doing this to redeem myself, and save the rest   
of you," Ayame said, trying to justify herself. "You   
can lead... you always could... better than I did. You   
never lost your teammates back in school."   
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Mousse   
demanded.   
  
"Ayame," Kodachi said, lowering her voice to a more   
controlled level. She held her free hand out. "Give   
me the pills."   
  
She shook her head. "I need them. We can't win   
unless I take them."   
  
"The HELL you do!!" the other girl screamed; this   
time Ayame cowered from Kodachi's voice, charged with   
deeper emotion.   
  
"What do you know?!" Ayame yelled back, summoning the   
courage to stand up to her old friend. "You don't   
know how much better these'll make things."   
  
"OF COURSE I DO!" replied Kodachi. "I DAMN WELL KNOW   
BECAUSE THEY STUCK ME IN A HOME FOR IT!!"   
  
Mousse stepped back in surprise, and Ayame kept her   
mouth shut. She never heard of such an incident, and   
apparently, neither did Mousse.   
  
Kodachi took several deep breaths, obviously   
gathering her thoughts and considering her next words   
carefully. In a more controlled tone, she said, "When   
I was fourteen, long before we would meet, one of my   
instructors decided that I was a menace. She did not   
appreciate my dominance and power I held, and therefore   
she attacked me in the best way possible-- using the   
authority of her position."   
  
"Finding sufficient evidence this instructor had me   
seized and placed in the hospital, citing that I was   
'mentally unbalanced.'" She spat the last two words   
with more contempt than for the teacher. "Needless to   
say I had little choice in the matter, as I was still   
but a child. Despite my family's influence or power in   
this city those hack doctors decided they needed to   
drug me to 'cure the chemical imbalance in my head.'"   
  
"I did not leave until the following weekend, by   
which time those fools had plenty of time to poison my   
mind. It was my brother's task to undo the   
prescription and mine to endure the course of the   
poison. I returned to class much more subdued, dead,   
and sunken so low that I drew stares from the other   
girls who liked me for who I was. They pitied me."   
  
Kodachi raised an angry fist. "They pitied me!!"   
Raising her sword she took one good slash across the   
bars holding Ayame, cleanly slicing them, but it was   
not enough to tear them down. Ayame pressed her back   
against the wall.   
  
"Those drugs were meant to ease my mind, but I felt   
it destroy me. The same night I returned home, their   
faces on my mind, I threw out those poison concoctions,   
but there was a price. I had gone a week being forced   
to adjust my psyche around the poison, and being   
without it.... Pain wracked my mind, and there was no   
one who could understand. Pity from friends, laughter   
from enemies... I could hear them all! They wanted to   
drive me mad, using this wicked poison."   
  
She broke out of her story suddenly, and Ayame knew   
the memory of that event was likely more powerful in   
her own thoughts than she was telling. "If you think   
any sort of mind-altering substance can offer an easy   
escape, then I pray your fall be much softer than   
mine."   
  
Swinging her sword around again, Kodachi sliced   
through the bars, this time at a lower point. The bars   
clattered off and rolled away in several directions,   
and Ayame flinched at the noise they produced.   
  
"Ayame, it's do or die time," Mousse insisted. "We   
wasted plenty of time here already, and I don't know   
how long Shion can keep them occupied."   
  
Ayame said nothing, taking in deep breaths, thinking   
over what Kodachi had said.   
  
"Drugs are not an answer, they are a means to an   
end," Kodachi added, grasping more control over her   
emotions. "In your case the end is your own ruin, and   
the ruin of us all. If you are so concerned with   
keeping us out of trouble, the drugs are the wrong   
solution. A leader sets an example by her actions;   
have you learned nothing from me?"   
  
"I've learned much, thanks to you," Ayame replied   
slowly, glancing at her former mentor, then back at the   
pills lying in the palm of her hand, beckoning her.   
"For that, you have my undying gratitude. But I can't   
lead."   
  
"If you take those pills, then it is certain that I   
will never get that 'undying gratitude,'" she pointed   
out. "And leadership... I will let you in on a secret,   
Ayame. I had no intention of being captain of the   
team when I joined the gymnastics club. That position   
was thrust on me because I was the daughter of a   
wealthy and influential figure... a mere school   
headmaster with a lot of money. I was elected leader   
by no virtue of my own; it was out of fear from power.   
To the human mind power is often equated with ability,   
and it makes them feel better knowing they have a good,   
strong leader to protect them. They believed my   
influences could bring them great glory."   
  
"Needless to say they were wrong about me." Kodachi   
laughed lightly at the thought. "Where they thought   
they could become complacent I became their harshest   
taskmaster."   
  
"I know," Ayame replied with a smile. "You did the   
same to me when I joined.   
  
"Nevertheless, as time passed, I made this team my   
own. Time passes a year, and no one would think to   
take my place. Whether they respected me or feared me,   
I was their undisputed leader."   
  
"And you trained me harder, specifically to take your   
place once you graduated," Ayame added.   
  
She eyed her former pupil. "Such is the same for   
you, Ayame. We... we are termed Fenril Knights. We   
are here because you are our leader. You know what to   
do, and how to get it done. When something must be   
done you make things happen. All of us look toward   
you for guidance, because you are that which keeps us   
from turning against one another. That is why you are   
our leader, and you must continue."   
  
Ayame chuckled to herself. "Guess I wasn't planning   
far enough ahead to place a successor...."   
  
She tossed the pills into the corner, and saw   
Kodachi's approving smile. She offered her hand.   
  
"Now," Mousse said impatiently, standing all but   
forgotten by the two girls, "can we leave?"   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Higure watched from Shion's usual chair as the   
reluctant leader lay on the slab, his fingers wired to   
the ceiling contraption, pulling them like the strings   
on a marionette. Every once in a while he would say   
something into a microphone installed near his mouth,   
and those words, and the words of those on the other   
end, echoed on the main speakers.   
  
The old man imagined it was difficult for the hacker   
to manipulate 'his world' in such a fashion, but the   
headband transferred electrical impulses from his   
brain faster than doing things manually. In effect,   
Shion had to visualize the happenings in his head, and   
his thoughts would make things happen. It was nothing   
like the proposed virtual reality, however, and by no   
means was it a substitute for the proper mindscape   
travel. It was all in his head, but Shion would always   
remain where he was, his mind never wandering.   
  
That said, that position left Shion in a particularly   
vulnerable state. If something went wrong, Higure   
would have no idea how to remedy it; he never had the   
time to figure out how to use any computer more   
sophisticated than a four-function calculator. And   
Shion blatantly refused to allow anyone else into the   
command center save Higure, since he did have a number   
of hidden enemies that would like to take him out for   
good; he had no idea who they were, of course. Any one   
of the technicians could have hated his guts enough to   
finish him off.   
  
Paranoia, the old man thought, can often be a life-   
saver, but, as a double-edged sword, it could claim   
life as well.   
  
"Hello, Mizuno," Shion said. "Glad you could make   
it."   
  
"What's this about, Shion?" Higure knew this voice   
to be that belonging to Ami Mizuno... Sailor Mercury,   
that is.   
  
"Welcome to my space," the mercenary said. "Whereas   
the others are more physically-inclined, I am the   
master of a digital realm. With a simple thought I   
can make computers directing the weather control   
system summon a flood if I wanted to."   
  
"You want Ayame," Mercury stated as a fact. "But you   
know as well as I that the prison doors are not   
electronically locked like most other prisons."   
  
"Oh, that's good," Shion replied sarcastically. "I   
can still get my way. I'll club you into submission   
if I have to."   
  
"So why are we here?"   
  
"I decided I wanted the pleasure of flaying you   
alive myself."   
  
Higure heard a startled scream, and the cry of a   
second girl on the other end. The old man was under   
the impression that Shion sent a nasty electrical   
impulse up to Mercury, but it was only the beginning.   
  
"Did it hurt?" asked Shion. He paused for a reply,   
and was rewarded with Mercury's heavy breathing. "Ah,   
good. That's the beauty of the human brain; I can   
trick it into sending synaptic pulses through your   
body, telling you that you got stabbed through your   
left hand."   
  
"Is that what you've done?" asked Mercury.   
  
"You shouldn't have come; you're so immensely   
gullible, just like my sister."   
  
---   
  
Palace Gates, Crystal Palace   
  
"We made it," declared Mousse, rushing out ahead of   
Ayame and Kodachi, looking to each side. "I can't   
believe they didn't spot us."   
  
The two girls joined him. Ayame cast her eyes toward   
the left, where she had caused a ruckus earlier. Was   
it only hours that she recklessly threw herself at the   
Sailor Senshi?   
  
She noticed Kodachi flinch a moment. Ayame asked,   
"What's wrong?"   
  
"I can feel her," she replied cryptically. Kodachi   
gripped her sword in both hands. "Sailor Venus!"   
  
"Hold it!"   
  
Sure enough, Kodachi was right. Coming from around   
the corner, toward the three's right, was the leader of   
the Sailor Senshi. She took a step back in surprise,   
her jaw dropping when her eyes glanced on the one   
holding the sword.   
  
"So," she said, "it's time."   
  
"Ayame," Kodachi hissed, "get out of here."   
  
The leader gave Mousse a quick glance, and both   
nodded, understanding. "Good luck, my friend," she   
said, taking off in the opposite direction.   
  
"Where are we going?" the weapons master wanted to   
know as they rounded the perimeter of the palace. "The   
gate's that way!"   
  
"I know," Ayame replied, coming to a halt at the   
collapsed wall. She was certain that Mousse understood   
why by now.   
  
The Metal Smasher, lying in the hole it crushed in   
the palace wall on its side, lay untouched since   
Ayame's capture. While the front end of the vehicle   
was blackened and melted, she felt sure that it could   
still work.   
  
Provided they could get the thing back on its feet   
again.   
  
Before she could make her request known, Mousse was   
already holding out the disc-shaped Chain Buster out   
for her. Ayame smiled. "You know, maybe Kodachi's   
right, after all."   
  
Both Ayame and Mousse rushed to Metal Smasher's side   
that lay exposed to the outside. Mousse planted the   
Chain Buster onto it, quickly punching in a few buttons   
on its surface as Ayame forced open the cockpit. As   
soon as she was inside, Mousse gave her the thumbs-up,   
and ran for cover.   
  
A few moments later chains burst from the device,   
embedding themselves in the far wall and pulling the   
Metal Smasher's cockpit up along with it. Several   
seconds later the chain spread ceased, and Mousse took   
the opportunity to remove the buster from the cockpit's   
side.   
  
"Hey!" they heard another Sailor Senshi shout.   
  
Mousse glanced back into the hole the Metal Smasher   
left as its mark, then toward the cockpit. He   
shouted, "Get going! I'll take care of this one!"   
  
Ayame nodded, even though she knew Mousse couldn't   
possibly see her through the window. No, the others   
would be alright.   
  
She guided the Metal Smasher toward the nearest wall,   
and flicked the switch that would power on the twin   
buster cannons. Satisfied that they were powering up,   
Ayame switched their settings, and sprayed liquid ice   
toward the nearest wall.   
  
The Metal Smasher rocked slightly, and Ayame saw   
pulses of electricity wash over the front of her   
cockpit, but paid it no mind. Mousse has this under   
control.   
  
Putting the vehicle into gear, Ayame plowed through   
the iced wall, and on toward freedom.   
  
---   
  
Kodachi leveled her sword carefully as she   
sidestepped into more open space, carefully watching   
the unarmed Sailor Venus.   
  
"So is this how the great Sailor Venus wishes to   
perish?" she purred.   
  
Venus raised her hand into the air, and in a   
shimmering flash a weapon appeared in her hand. To   
Kodachi the weapon bore a certain resemblance to that   
of a proper sword, but the blade was made not of   
refined metal, but of opaque crystal. She scoffed at   
the idea that a weapon so brittle could be used so   
seriously.   
  
On the other hand, it was possible it was made of the   
same crystal that blankets the world.   
  
"Is this more to your liking?" Venus replied,   
lowering her arm into a ready position.   
  
Kodachi's lips curved into a sly smile. "For honor   
and dignity, I challenge you!"   
  
Both warriors charged.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
Moon looked toward Sailor Mars as she entered, her   
face stone. "What news?"   
  
"They've sprung her, alright," Mars reported. "The   
others are looking for them now." She glanced toward   
Sailor Mercury, who yelped momentarily. "What's going   
on?"   
  
"Shion's controlling her mind somehow," Sailor Moon   
replied. "Actually, I don't think it's even that...   
he's making her think she's getting mutilated."   
  
"That creep!"   
  
The leader of the world sighed. "There's nothing we   
can do to help her. See if you can help Jupiter or   
Venus... I'll stay here with Mercury."   
  
Silently, Mars nodded, turning to leave once again.   
  
"Don't give up," Sailor Moon pleaded, wondering if   
Mercury could hear her over the pain.   
  
"Had enough yet?" she heard Shion say over the   
speakers. She could detect no hint of satisfaction out   
of the Fenril. "Why don't you fight back?"   
  
"Fighting you will solve nothing," Mercury replied,   
her voice cracking from pain. "You have every right to   
be angry."   
  
"What?" There was no doubt that Shion was surprised   
to hear this. "You ARE a Sailor Senshi, aren't you?"   
  
"Despite what you believe, we're human, too," she   
continued. "We have feelings. You were right, back   
there, when you said that I shouldn't have tried to   
spy on you. I never used to think that way... but that   
was a long time ago."   
  
"Oh?"   
  
"I've lived far longer than you have," Mercury   
explained. "I've lived a thousand years time while the   
rest of the world was sleeping; a handful of people   
against all odds. A thousand years is much time to   
change, even though we don't realize it ourselves. I   
realized how much I changed that night."   
  
"Over the time we spent defending this world our   
views became more hardened than what it used to be. In   
result we allowed ourselves to make enemies of you. If   
we remembered to take the time to talk things through   
perhaps we could've avoided this conflict."   
  
"Well... now you want to talk. Oh, sure, brings a   
tear to my eye."   
  
"We made a mistake," Mercury punctuated. "For that,   
I am sorry."   
  
However, her only response was laughter. "You know,   
that's hella funny! I never would've thought you'd   
stoop so low."   
  
Now it was Mercury's turn to be surprised.   
  
"You have no idea why we're fighting," Shion said   
matter-of-factly. "All that time you spent spying on   
us, pretending to be our friend... and you still can't   
figure out something so simple."   
  
"I don't care where you got the idea from," he   
continued. "We aren't fighting because it's Order   
against Chaos... we like order. It's a man's invention   
rooted from Chaos, the father of everything, if you   
follow Greek myths. We like chaos, too. We're   
fighting Good against Evil."   
  
Suddenly, both Mercury and Moon understood.   
  
"How can you believe we're evil?" the soldier of   
water asked. "We've done so much for this world!"   
  
"You're still equating Chaos with Evil and Order   
with Good; that's your defect," Shion accused. "Order   
too can be evil, just as Chaos can be good. The trick   
with Good vs. Evil is someone is either on one side or   
the other. I think, Mizuno, you demonstrated which of   
us was the evil side."   
  
"Because good people wouldn't spy? Is that why?"   
  
"If you're so purely good as you think you are, yes."   
  
"You're a hacker," she pointed out. "Do you admit   
that you have done illegal acts yourself?"   
  
"Why not?" Shion asked. "Should there have been a   
reason why I should respect a flawed law as they had   
then? Why should I respect your law any more, when   
it's just as flawed?"   
  
"Then how can you judge yourself good and me evil?"   
  
"Did I say I was good? We know what we're doing;   
we're not the ones claiming to be the defenders of   
love and justice, and all that is good."   
  
"Then what is it that you want?"   
  
"I want a better world, that's what," Shion   
answered. "Even though the world we left behind was   
flawed, it was also the one humanity shaped on its   
own. It wasn't thrust upon them like your world was.   
And after that, we want the people of the world to   
choose how they wish to live. You gave them no such   
choice."   
  
"It couldn't be helped."   
  
"Oh, that's right. Your leader's mistakes."   
  
"Hey!" Sailor Moon cried.   
  
"I've traced the events," the mercenary claimed. "If   
I traced back the events leading up to your Great   
Sleep, then all the problems come from your stupid   
Silver Crystal. Don't you think on shifting blame on   
your enemies; you knew it would bring them to you and   
yet you thought you could live on, like nothing was   
wrong. You tried to bury a leaky pipeline before   
fixing it."   
  
"Enough," Mercury decided. "Two can play at this   
game."   
  
"Oh?"   
  
"You won't tell anyone your past because you're   
ashamed of it; you're no different than we are."   
  
"Is that so?"   
  
"Information can be buried, but it can be found.   
Even though it wasn't in your Mishima database I found   
it elsewhere. Your biological father was law   
enforcement."   
  
"Clever," Shion commented evenly. "Records such as   
those are very difficult to bury."   
  
"He wasn't the best officer, but he was good at his   
job. He got many commendations and high marks from   
his superiors. Officer Kagami's otherwise bright   
future was cut short when he was stabbed to death and   
left to die in an alley, being at the wrong place at   
the wrong time. He left a wife and son... you."   
  
"Shut up."   
  
"You took it upon yourself to become the man of the   
house in your father's place," Mercury continued.   
  
"Shut up."   
  
"But, since you were still a child you couldn't get   
any traditional job."   
  
"Shut up!" This time the mercenary's voice was on   
the edge of exploding.   
  
"You turned toward illegal activity to make enough   
money to support your mother and your lifestyle, and in   
the end you made it even better."   
  
"Shut the hell up!!"   
  
"You betrayed all that your father stood for in order   
to survive," Mercury concluded. "You had the best   
intentions in the world, but the memory of your real   
father haunts you even now. You won't let it go   
away."   
  
Mercury winced in pain, and Sailor Moon wondered if   
she pushed the Fenril too far. But her friend's   
expression relaxed slowly, a good sign.   
  
"You damn well know how to screw people up," Shion   
said finally, his voice wavering. "Fuck you."   
  
"We're not all that much different, Shion," Mercury   
said, offering the olive branch. "We can't change the   
past any more than you want to change the world back   
to the way it was... I'm sorry, but that's the truth.   
Perhaps we could understand each other... talk to each   
other... and resolve our differences. No one else   
needs to suffer or perish."   
  
For several breaths silence hung over the security   
office. Sailor Moon realized she was holding her   
breath, and exhaled. "Is this such a good idea?" she   
asked. "You just made him real mad... and he might not   
be thinking straight."   
  
Mercury turned her head, and smiled. That was   
enough to wash away any doubts in the ruler's mind.   
  
"Alright, Mizuno... what do you want to discuss?"   
Shion said finally.   
  
---   
  
Somewhere, hidden in darkness a black, gloved hand   
held up a remote trigger. The owner of the hand smiled   
maliciously, pressing a hard thumb down on the large,   
red switch.   
  
An explosion could be heard in the distance. Fire   
and debris flew everywhere, and the bomber only   
laughed.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Higure jumped out of his seat the moment he   
recognized the danger, but it was far too late for   
Shion to avoid it.   
  
A massive power fluctuation in the power grid   
funneled through the system, and arcs of electricity   
sparked from the control center's consoles. The old   
man turned toward the center, where Shion was screaming   
out terribly through the pyrotechnics consuming the   
control device hanging over the slab he rest on.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
Unfortunately for Mercury, she, too, shared the pain   
Shion was feeling. Crying out louder she remained   
frozen in her seat as electrical pulses threatened to   
shock her to death.   
  
Sailor Moon instinctively pulled the connection wire   
from Mercury's visor out, and the painful shocks   
ceased to wrack her body. She raised her hand to   
shield her eyes from the electrical arcs dancing on   
the fried console, and quickly pulled Mercury's seat   
away from it.   
  
Bending her knees to her level, Moon shook her friend   
anxiously. "Sailor Mercury!" she cried.   
  
"It's... it's too late," she muttered, her eyes   
slowly fluttering open.   
  
"You're okay!" Sailor Moon let her emotions overcome   
her, and she threw her arms around her friend.   
  
"We lost him," Mercury insisted, her voice cracking.   
"And with him, all hope of ending this stupid war...."   
  
The ruler of Earth pulled herself back, and stared   
into her friend's eyes, as if she didn't believe what   
Mercury was saying.   
  
"It was a powerful shockwave," she said. "If you   
hadn't pulled me out when you did I would've been   
caught by it, too. But Shion... he was too attached to   
the system. He was still in there...."   
  
For the first time in a long time, Mercury allowed   
the tears to flow, and it was all Sailor Moon to do but   
console her.   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
It was a terrible sight to behold, Higure knew. It   
was a terrible curse that so many of these young   
people were checking out of the hotel before he was.   
  
The wires that connected Shion's fingers to the   
control machine hung taut, as the mercenary's arms were   
hanging limply over each side of the slab. Although   
his body was otherwise untouched and undamaged, Higure   
checked for a pulse, and his suspicions were confirmed.   
  
The latest shock pulse was more than enough to send   
pulses to his brain to shut down his body, leaving   
Shion in the state between life and death.   
  
Higure surveyed the rest of the command center, and   
saw that the rest of the equipment was fried, and   
likely beyond repair. The Mishima hidden fortress was   
likely going to need an overhaul-- at least, for the   
machines that were directly connected to the affected   
system.   
  
"What a mess," was all he could say.   
  
---   
  
Palace Gates, Crystal Palace   
  
Oblivious to the conflicts around them Kodachi and   
Venus continued their heated engagement, each parrying   
each other's blows with their swords, neither gaining   
an apparent advantage.   
  
"You practiced since we last fought!" Kodachi   
declared, barring her teeth.   
  
"We NEVER fought before," Venus pointed out,   
catching Kodachi's blade on her own, then shoving her   
back.   
  
"Whether it be myself or my brother, you fight Kuno!"   
Kodachi tossed her sword up into the air, allowing it   
to arc backward.   
  
Before Venus could wonder what she was getting at   
her opponent started backward in perfect backflips,   
moving fast and precisely like the rhythmic gymnast   
she was reputed to be. Stopping with one final flip   
Kodachi held her arms out as in traditional form,   
catching the sword she threw in her left hand.   
  
If anything, it was pretty darn impressive.   
  
Lowering herself back into battle stance, Kodachi   
shouted, "Feel the sting of the Black Rose!"   
  
With her other hand she whipped out a gymnastics   
ribbon, and twirled it in a storm of black rose petals.   
Venus shielded her eyes as the petals blew in her   
direction, and lowered them to cover her mouth and nose   
when she realized they were laced with some kind of   
powder.   
  
However, Kodachi was taking advantage of her own   
distraction, rushing back into the fray. Venus felt   
the true weight behind the Kuno sword as she raised   
her crystal sword to deflect it, and barely succeeding.   
With one hand her swordplay was vastly diminished, but   
Venus did not dare risk breathing in the powder,   
whatever it was.   
  
Whoever she is, this Kuno is much more difficult to   
battle than her brother, she decided.   
  
She fell down to the ground as Kodachi landed a much   
harder blow, shattering the crystal sword clean   
through with the force of vengeance behind it. It was   
one thing to lose her weapon, but Venus also   
accidentally breathed in some of the powder. She felt   
her body freeze in an instant, and her arms and legs   
would not respond to her command.   
  
Kodachi stood there, the rose petals and cloud   
vanishing with the wind, but Venus was still paralyzed.   
Her steel blade lowered under her chin, and she knew   
it was all over.   
  
"I won," Kodachi declared. "For the honor of my   
brother, I won!"   
  
A dark shadow appeared over the two girls, and Venus   
knew that, even if she could, shouting a warning would   
have been too late.   
  
Although Kodachi won, both of them ended as losers.   
  
---   
  
Masses of chains dotted the region of the outer   
courtyard as Mousse's domain, as Sailor Jupiter   
remained tangled within the metal masses. She dared   
not use her lightning bolts to break free, knowing full   
well that any shock she sent through the chains would   
eventually end back at her.   
  
And Mousse knew that all too well.   
  
The Master of Hidden Weapons stood on a chain above   
where Jupiter was entangled by the Chain Buster, his   
arms folded beneath his long sleeves. He raised his   
glasses on his forehead, allowing the wind to blow in   
his triumphant face.   
  
"In Confucian teachings Metal is the opposition of   
Wood," he noted. "How unfortunate for you that I   
finally managed to find the right match."   
  
And yet he managed to jinx it when he heard, "Mars   
Snake Fire!!"   
  
He knew what was coming, and backflipped up and away   
from the tangle of chains as the fire snake seared   
through the chains, quickly melting and breaking links   
that turned the web into dangling strands.   
  
Landing on the ground, he replaced his glasses and   
eyed Sailor Mars angrily. "Do you just LIKE following   
me around?"   
  
"Get fire-proof chains," she suggested sarcastically.   
  
"I'll do better," promised Mousse. He spread his   
arms wide, unleashing a flurry of throwing knives that   
threatened to pierce Mars.   
  
Not waiting for the weapons to connect or miss,   
he reached for the crystal prism in his sleeve pocket   
and willed himself home.   
  
---   
  
It was difficult to be oblivious of an EMP Shockwave   
if one was operating electronic machinery.   
  
Ayame sat in the Metal Smasher's cockpit, with the   
window open, sitting back in the leather seat with her   
chin resting on her propped hand. She tapped on the   
console with her other hand, fingers rattling on amidst   
the ambient sound of electrical shorts.   
  
"Busted," she knew. There was no saving the Metal   
Smasher without giving it a complete overhaul now.   
Shion will be pissed when he find out what happened to   
his favorite toy.   
  
Deciding there was no use in waiting around for the   
Sailor Senshi to catch up with her Ayame took off her   
heels, and vaulted over the side of the cockpit,   
landing on her feet. Quickly throwing her shoes back   
on she stood up and brushed off invisible dust on her   
lab coat, then set out to find the nearest entrance to   
the Mishima fortress, not knowing that another was   
tailing her.   
  
---   
  
Sailor Moon refused to believe it until she saw the   
truth for herself.   
  
Lying in the grass, curled on her side, was Sailor   
Venus, defeated and dying, shivering from a cold that   
the ruler of Earth could not feel. Not far away was   
one of the Fenril Knights, Kodachi, lying more still,   
and very much dead, from what Mars and Jupiter informed   
her.   
  
However, Venus was still in the shock stage, and she   
would soon suffer the same fate as Kodachi.   
  
Sailor Moon got down on her knees, trying not to cry,   
in front of Sailor Venus.   
  
Her body quaking, it took all of Venus's discipline   
to get her message across. "Heart crystal...."   
  
Moon nodded. "I know." She brushed Venus's hair   
away from her face with a mother's touch.   
  
"H..he...." Venus swallowed. "Kodachi had two heart   
crystals... both came out... of her."   
  
"Who did this?"   
  
But this time Venus's voice was barely over a   
whisper, and Sailor Moon had to lean closer to hear.   
Her eyes widened, and she backed away.   
  
"Rest well, my friend," she told Venus. "We'll get   
them back."   
  
Venus offered a courageous smile, one final time   
before the silence claimed her.   
  
---   
  
"Heh, heh, heh, heh... hah, hah, hah, hah!"   
  
An evil laugh echoed throughout the city that   
morning as the silent victor disappeared back into the   
confusion that spawned him. Pantyhose Taro held out   
his right arm, opening his palm upward toward the sky,   
allowing his new collection of four strong heart   
crystals to dance for him like a light show.   
  
"It won't be long now," the martial artist knew.   
"The more heart crystals I collect, the more powerful I   
become; that is the secret of these treasures! With   
enough of these I'll be more than a match for Neo Queen   
Serenity. World domination can become a reality."   
  
---   
  
Palace of Solitude, Nemesis   
  
Formalities became a thing of the past, as the robed   
salamander, Cinder, lead Ukyo Kuonji through the dark   
hallways, remaining silent, yet emitting smoke every   
so often. The okonomiyaki chef attributed that quirk   
as a sort of exhale; she was unsure how much the kami   
needed to breathe, but what she did know was that he   
required an enormous amount of oxygen just to keep his   
fire going.   
  
Anyone clever enough to figure that out likely could   
stand a chance against him. Maybe.   
  
She sighed, thinking back again to Cologne's offer   
back at her restaurant. Not only did the old woman   
demonstrate that she did in fact know she was one of   
the enemy, she wanted to become a part of it. By then   
there was no use denying her cover to the hag; Konatsu   
figured it out as well, and he didn't tell anyone,   
either.   
  
She was afraid that, if the captive Crystal Tokyo   
population learned Ukyo, the monopolizing supplier of   
real food on Nemesis, was a Fenril Knight, they would   
storm her restaurant and tar and feather her... or   
something to that effect. It would most certainly kill   
her business forever.   
  
The old man, Wiseman, never seemed to emerge from   
his hidden citadel anymore, and in effect the ones in   
charge were Sypha and Cinder. Technically, though,   
Ukyo was supposed to be in charge, but she saw no   
reason to exert her sphere of influence on two   
individuals who could potentially turn her inside-out.   
  
Morning was the best time to tear herself away from   
her restaurant, and role of local gossip on par with a   
traditional bartender. Although Ukyo opened the   
restaurant early each morning it was the time there was   
least business, and when nobody was likely to miss her   
presence.   
  
Cinder lead Ukyo through a dark passage, and down a   
flight of stone stairs. The okonomiyaki chef kept one   
hand on the wall as she descended the spiral steps, as   
there was very little illumination; Cinder certainly   
didn't need it, not with that eye implant of his. And   
Sypha likely didn't need to see light, either. That   
left the wimpy human to deal with that problem herself,   
of course.   
  
No one believes I'm a good martial artist, she   
thought to herself, and that's why I got stuck on this   
backwater planet, babysitting. Ranchan is probably   
laughing or something... that jerk. Probably forgot   
I'm even here....   
  
She realized that she was at the bottom of the stairs   
the moment she tried to make another descending step,   
nearly tripping into Cinder's back. The cloaked   
salamander's mechanical eye flashed in her direction,   
as if he knew what was going to happen, but said   
nothing of it.   
  
The fire master lead Ukyo to one of the cells, and   
she peeked inside. Sure enough, there was a Sailor   
Senshi chained to the wall inside, one appearing much   
older than the ones defending Crystal Tokyo. Her eyes   
were closed, as if exhausted, or in slumber, and hung   
limp against her bonds.   
  
Cinder pulled the door open quickly, creating a huge   
grating sound that forced Ukyo to cover her ears. She   
wanted to have a word with the salamander about his   
lack of tact, but caught herself. She allowed him to   
step inside first, then followed quietly after.   
  
"This is one of the prisoners," the salamander said,   
his chasm voice filtering through mechanical implants.   
"They call her Sailor Neptune, the bearer of the   
mirror."   
  
Ukyo studied Neptune closely. "The mirror that is   
part of the three sacred treasures, eh?" she remembered   
Cinder mentioning earlier. She saw no obvious hiding   
places for such a contraption. "Yata's mirror...."   
  
"If we can harness the power of all three treasures,   
one of you may prove a match to defeat Neo Queen   
Serenity," Cinder explained. "The orb, however, is   
held by unknown hands."   
  
"Wiseman explained all this?" Ukyo asked. She wished   
the old man would at least try to tell her interesting   
stuff like this.   
  
"We have no interest in eliminating the queen of the   
Earth," Cinder revealed. "I loathe her and her   
people. On Nemesis, we reign supreme over a kingdom of   
dust."   
  
"Then you're not going back to Earth, after all?"   
That was news to her.   
  
"Deliberating late the previous night," the   
salamander explained, "Lady Sypha and I decided, as   
the last of the kami we should stick together. Our   
kind is not welcome among the humans; we are seen as   
devils. Nemesis, however, is not a haven of man, but   
it can be made ours."   
  
"Just the two of you?" asked Ukyo. "Are you sure   
you guys haven't thought it through?"   
  
"We have. I received word from Earth that my first   
and last student was slain. I have no reason to   
return to that wretched planet, nor have I the   
inclination to see my devastated homeland. It's all   
gone, and I wasn't there to die with it."   
  
"Sucks to be the last of your kind, doesn't it?"   
Ukyo said, shaking her head. "There's nothing more to   
do about it, though."   
  
"Only to humiliate the Sailor Senshi who destroyed   
our people," Cinder corrected.   
  
"Didn't you do that already?"   
  
"Only to these two. We need to finish it with Neo   
Queen Serenity. To force her to live shamefully is the   
best revenge we could hope to achieve."   
  
"Geez, you guys sure are pretty lenient."   
  
"Not likely," Neptune muttered.   
  
Both Ukyo and Cinder turned toward the prisoner,   
with the okonomiyaki chef being the only one surprised   
that she was listening in.   
  
"Y... you're awake?!" she managed to say.   
  
"Who would've thought that humans, too, sided along   
with the kami of the Black Moon."   
  
"We're not Black Moon," Ukyo corrected. "We're just   
people."   
  
"People don't suddenly decide they want to overthrow   
their ruler," Neptune countered.   
  
"No," the chef admitted. "That world you've got down   
on Earth is great and all... for business, really. I   
mean, working is great now, but it's almost the same   
thing every day. I miss having Ranma end up in my   
garbage cans every once in a while, or someone trying   
to out-market me. I even miss that annoying Kuno; he   
made my day sometimes with that weirdness of his."   
  
"What I'm probably getting at is... well... nobody   
fights anymore, and it's pretty boring."   
  
"'Boring' is hardly how I'd term it," Neptune   
replied softly. "'Peaceful,' maybe."   
  
"You're not like those other Sailor Senshi, are you?"   
  
"Their outlook is more naive, if that's what you   
mean."   
  
"Maybe."   
  
"That's why we took it upon ourselves to take care of   
alien invaders," Neptune said. "But you have to let us   
go, because more are coming, and we don't have enough   
power to stop them."   
  
"Who?" asked Cinder, curiosity piqued.   
  
"Invaders from another galaxy, called the Mekani."   
  
The name of the new threat sent a shiver down Ukyo's   
spine. "Mekani? Again?"   
  
"What do you mean, 'again?'" the soldier asked,   
genuinely unaware of their previous attacks.   
  
"Foolish," Cinder rumbled, more smoke bellowing out   
from under his hood. "You Sailor Senshi didn't even   
know the extent of the threat before you made it   
worse."   
  
"Then tell me," Neptune dared.   
  
"Think about it," the fire salamander told her. "Did   
you really think the Mekani scout force you demolished   
tried to overrun Earth once? They tried many, many   
times since their sealing between planes, and we were   
among those responsible for repelling their latest   
attack. Before you even knew they existed."   
  
Ukyo nodded. "The Mekani tried to take away   
everything. It happened quickly... all in one night.   
Many people were hurt, but no one would know of the   
danger Earth was in, thanks to Ayame's people for   
cleaning up the mess."   
  
"Then you understand why we have to warn the queen   
immediately," Neptune replied, a sense of urgency in   
her voice. "This new scout force is much more   
advanced than the last, and they are far more prepared   
to defeat us."   
  
"I expected as much," Cinder said, turning toward   
Ukyo. "There was another reason we decided to stay.   
The Timeless Ones cannot be allowed to turn this   
galaxy into another arm of their empire."   
  
"A foothold scenario, huh?" Ukyo realized. "Bloody   
their noses here, they turn around and look somewhere   
else?"   
  
"If we understand Mekani hive-mind thinking, then   
they'll ignore us until they feel they can send another   
scout force sufficient enough to defeat whatever it was   
that beat them last time."   
  
"Then why aren't we letting these two go?" asked   
Ukyo. If both of you know about the Mekani coming,   
then that's more than enough reason to band together."   
  
Cinder shook his head. "The scouting party has no   
reason to hurry here if they perceive no threat. If   
they realize we're preparing for their arrival then I   
can assure you they'll take extra measures to get here   
before we're through."   
  
"Then you've got secret weapons in the work?" she   
hoped.   
  
Again, the salamander shook his head, to the chef's   
disappointment. "We suspect Wiseman is up to   
something."   
  
"Wiseman?" Neptune echoed. "I thought he was   
destroyed."   
  
"Then you thought wrong," Cinder replied harshly.   
  
"He is a spawn of the darkness!" the captured Sailor   
Senshi cried. "How can you trust such a creature?"   
  
"Then you shouldn't parlay with similar creatures!"   
the fire master snapped angrily. "Perhaps you would   
think better who to judge your enemies if there is a   
next time. Perhaps, if your leader thought ahead of   
time, maybe she could have had the backing of my   
people and other spirit folk. But, that's all in the   
past, and it's too late to cry over spilt milk, as your   
adage goes. You and your friend, at least, will face   
the consequences."   
  
"Cinder," Ukyo voiced, summoning her inner courage,   
"what good will it do to torture her to death? She's   
obviously not going to cough up the mirror, wherever   
it is, and I think Neo Queen Serenity's our best   
chance to get rid of the mechanical plague."   
  
"Are you talking to me, human?" Cinder seemed   
amused by the gesture.   
  
Ukyo glanced to Sailor Neptune, then back at Cinder.   
"Yeah, I guess so...." She shook her head. "Yes, of   
COURSE I'm talking to you! Who died and put you in   
charge? Ayame put ME in charge."   
  
"Is that so?"   
  
She had no time to wonder if challenging the kami's   
authority was wise. "I'm your leader, not you, not   
Sypha, and not Wiseman. I don't care who you think you   
are, or why you're doing it, but you don't blink unless   
I tell you to. When I say 'jump,' I wanna see air   
beneath your feet. Do I make myself clear?"   
  
The salamander didn't move to kill, a good sign.   
"Then what is it that you wish of me...."   
  
"Ukyo," she corrected preemptively.   
  
"Lady Ukyo," Cinder finished.   
  
She glanced toward Neptune again. "First of all, I   
want you two to stop torturing the prisoners. Next, I   
want you to make sure Sypha listens to me. Third, you   
untie the prisoners, and bring them to the meeting hall   
tonight at eleven, Earth time."   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Stay tuned for more.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	9. Death Sphere

Souls of Fire #9: Death Sphere   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Interview 1   
  
"Perhaps it is naive to believe in the inherent good   
of humanity."   
  
"I pondered over the subject for many hours on end,   
and the conclusion became rather elusive. Perhaps   
there wasn't a single answer to my questions, and that   
I was looking for easy answers where a complicated   
solution was required. I didn't want a complicated   
solution, however... I wanted an answer that I could   
understand."   
  
"I think Neo Queen Serenity believes that humanity is   
inherently good. Maybe that's why, despite my   
misgivings, I was attracted to her. I lay down my arms   
for a chance to hear what she had to say, to explain   
why some things had to happen the way they did. Under   
this understanding I realized that Neo Queen Serenity   
was not the evil soul I once thought, but a truly good   
individual that also happened to make many, many   
mistakes, and tried to hide from them."   
  
"Perhaps that's why I hate her."   
  
"I can't imagine billions of life forces being   
snuffed out at once, nor can I imagine their faces. It   
is naive to think I could fight her with them on my   
mind. I can't do it. For all the faces that were   
terminated in the transition of worlds only one   
dominated my thoughts, well over those I considered my   
family."   
  
"Mizuki."   
  
"Deathclaw remembers how she died, because he was   
there. She didn't succumb to the Chaos Plague as I   
once thought; she died because her body and soul were   
consumed by the ghost dragon."   
  
"It's strange, remembering what Deathclaw did. He   
remembered the experiences of each host he took on   
under his eternal curse of unlife, and all of them were   
there with me... Mizuki, Shampoo, and countless others   
who could not hope to conquer their parasite. He   
scorned them all for their weakness, but there was a   
special place for me... because somehow, I was the   
one."   
  
"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that Deathclaw prefers   
my symbiosis, but I thought I'd be the last person he'd   
want as host. I'm evil, and he's evil... and evil   
people generally don't like each other. Even with a   
frail body as mine he thought I was the strongest, most   
able creature, and that's probably one of the reasons   
he so readily agreed to our summoner's pact."   
  
"I almost forgot the reason why I made that pact in   
the first place. No, I remember now... I was too weak   
to handle the threats looming in the calm before the   
Mekani decided to attack. I needed to become strong,   
and fast. Since I'm evil, I tried to get it in the   
fastest way possible."   
  
"Anyway, I had a long, melancholy reunion with my   
mentor. Her soul suffers eternal torment as one of   
those claimed under Deathclaw's curse, but that torture   
wasn't enough to bar her from telling me the truth.   
That is my curse... to know the truth."   
  
"In a rough order of events... she woke up one   
morning and knew, just as everybody else, that the seal   
on the Gate of Heaven expired. No one was prepared for   
this, however, as the seal was renewed on a regular   
basis. The Gate itself acts not only as a direct   
passage to the Kami Plane, but also as a means to   
strengthen this plane's 'inner border' containing the   
void where the Mekani were imprisoned."   
  
"Needless to say, while we already knew the Mekani   
were ripping holes on the Kami Plane's side of the   
void pocket (long story), the expired seal allowed the   
mechanical plague to use their void-rippers to carve   
holes into this plane like Swiss cheese. Mizuki had no   
idea of the extent of the damage until the Sailor   
Senshi approached the Shrine of the Four Gods with   
their problem."   
  
"Oh, sure, they were really mad when they learned   
what happened, but they also knew they didn't have much   
time before the Mekani holed themselves in on Earth.   
You see, they hate it in the void, where there's no   
raw materials to manufacture more of them, so they   
wanted to move their factory satellites here. Since   
they were so huge that bought us some time... not much,   
though."   
  
"Most of the people died within the first week,   
succumbing to the Chaos Plague's interior attack. It   
pretty much ate away at the body's cells until the body   
could no longer function... a terrible way to go.   
Mizuki knew she didn't have much time herself, so she   
had to turn to desperate measures."   
  
"Yeah, she made a deal with Deathclaw. Deathclaw was   
peeved that he couldn't find me... apparently my body   
was missing and he knew it. Of course somehow he knew   
I was still alive somewhere... but that's neither here   
nor there; nobody really knows where I went, not even   
me. Mizuki made an offer to him, and he accepted. And   
for a time he remained contented with Mizuki."   
  
"That is, until the Sailor Senshi discovered a   
solution of their own. By that time Mizuki was the   
only one left, and she tried to persuade them to look   
for another way... but that fell on deaf ears. They   
needed a solution, and Mizuki couldn't offer them a   
better one; she could not reseal the Gate herself   
because the Four Gods rejected her candidacy for that   
honor, and there wasn't anyone left alive who could   
qualify to learn the sealing rite."   
  
"They decided to fall in with the Mekani plan of   
collapsing the void pocket, and for that end they   
needed elemental-attuned artifacts in order to break   
each of the four pillars signifying each of the Four   
Gods: Byakko, Genbu, Seiryu, and Suzaku. Knowing she   
still had some time Mizuki tried to come up with an   
answer, but failed. Deathclaw also learned what they   
were planning, and eventually the two decided they had   
to stop the Sailor Senshi."   
  
"Needless to say Deathclaw took over in a big way,   
fighting all the Sailor Senshi by himself. They beat   
him, however, and there was nothing he could do to stop   
them."   
  
"And how ironic... they had no idea Mizuki was   
Deathclaw, so they thought she died...."   
  
"Mizuki/Deathclaw witnessed the destruction of home   
and the death of the Mekani. All that was left to do   
was hunt down any stray Mekani units and deal with   
the ghost dragon... that is, until the Infernals   
decided to start another war."   
  
"She witnessed that as well, and Deathclaw escaped   
numerous times and lost every battle in the end. By   
the time the Sailor Senshi destroyed the Infernals they   
still had no idea why Deathclaw would not die. So the   
only 'humane' thing to do was exile him to the void."   
  
"The fools... Deathclaw can't die because he's cursed   
to be in his living death state forever. That curse is   
so strong that even Neo Queen Serenity couldn't break   
it... or had no inclination to do so. The curse is so   
strong that the key to his fate lies in a naive and   
stupid girl."   
  
"Oh, gee... I wonder. The cursed like company, I   
suppose. Or is it as Mizuki says... my imperfect soul   
perfectly complements his. Gosh, that's so evil of   
me."   
  
"I'm still naive to believe that her way... Queen   
Serenity's way... that humanity is inherently good.   
It's enough to set up for the inevitable fall, and the   
cycle will repeat ceaselessly because I'm both naive   
and cynical at the same time."   
  
"I must be stupid."   
  
---   
  
Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ayame didn't want to think after what happened in her   
absence.   
  
Although the underground compound should have been   
protected from EMP waves, the fact was the command   
center was fried, toasted, and useless. So was Shion,   
lying comatose in the same position Higure left him,   
minus the Orochi weapons were no longer in his hands.   
  
Not only that, but confirmed word came that Kodachi   
was killed.   
  
The only thing that went her way so far was the fact   
that the R&D block survived the shockwave. The   
weapons, at least, were still usable.   
  
She eyed the old man Higure, now promoted since   
Shion was no longer available. Ayame wondered why she   
never made him one of her advisors in the first place,   
and she had to, since he was still coughing up useful   
equipment like the Lightning Dragon Wire.   
  
"I need to know how far Kanna has gotten," she   
informed the technicians assembled in the command   
center. "To that end you guys are going to cobble   
together something that gives us satellite linkup   
back. Chief Dumbass?"   
  
"That's Dumas," Taydome's replacement voiced meekly.   
  
"Whatever," Ayame replied, shrugging. "You're an   
electrical engineer... communications is your   
specialty. I expect a solution by tonight. The   
Sailor Senshi likely know that the jamming curtain is   
out, and if they think to warn our target points Kanna   
is dead meat."   
  
"Do not underestimate her," Higure assured her. "She   
is more than capable to deal with minor setbacks as   
that."   
  
The leader nodded in the old man's direction. "Point   
taken, but I'm not convinced that the Sailor Senshi   
won't leave Crystal Tokyo. I don't think they know   
what our endgame plan is, so I guess we could relax for   
a bit."   
  
"Then what of the Dead End Buster?"   
  
Ayame shot a glance at Dumas.   
  
"Ah, yes," Dumas said, straightening his lab coat.   
"The Dead End Buster is almost completed. If nothing   
else interrupts us, then I project we can have it up   
and running in thirty-six hours."   
  
"Excellent," Ayame said. "Then we can still win."   
  
Kodachi, Shion, she added silently, I'll honor both   
of your hard work with victory. Thanks for giving this   
fool a second chance.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
"We've finally found where the Fenril rift is,"   
Sailor Mars declared.   
  
Her eyes panned around the table, careful not to keep   
her gaze steady on the position where Sailor Venus   
should have been. Now was not the time to mourn a lost   
friend, not when there was still much work left to be   
done.   
  
"Even though our computers are fried," she   
continued, "their equipment is, too. Mercury's   
computer still worked, and we used it to scan the area   
now that their jamming towers were down."   
  
"The rift is located in Central Park," Mercury said,   
picking up the torch. "It is not guarded at all, but   
there is something keeping the rift open. We believe   
it is shadow substance."   
  
"Then not only are we going to have to seal the rift,   
but uncork it, too?" asked Jupiter.   
  
Sailor Moon nodded. "I think the rift should be our   
first priority now. Tracking down Pantyhose Taro will   
have to wait; we need to eliminate Hokuto from the   
equation before she decides to attack us."   
  
"She's already attacked," Mars pointed out, annoyed.   
"I'll plug her myself if I have to."   
  
"It's almost certain that Hokuto will try to stop   
us," Mercury added in warning. "We'll have to be extra   
careful."   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ranma felt more hungry than tired, and he had the   
black crystal to thank for it.   
  
Essentially raiding the food stocks the martial   
artist swallowed and chewed on anything he could get   
his hands on, and there was the off-chance that someone   
would get mad at him later. On the other hand, it was   
because of the black crystal, and his lack of control   
over it.   
  
It felt strange, fighting on instinct alone. Ranma   
knew he was going nearly even with Sailor Moon, but it   
wasn't enough; he had to get his mind back into the   
equation as well. That would likely require more   
control... and how to do that was beyond him.   
  
He stopped for a second, feeling a premonition.   
Someone was watching him.   
  
Ranma grabbed a bag of unopened chips and threw   
them over his shoulder. His eyes followed, catching   
sight of a black-caped intruder escaping out the door.   
  
"Dammit," he cursed, getting up out of his seat.   
  
Dashing out of the sliding doors, Ranma caught sight   
of the caped intruder ducking down one of the side   
halls. He gave chase, mapping out the corridors in   
his mind, and predicted where the intruder would go.   
  
Ranma kept going straight, then turned down the next   
hall. As he predicted the intruder was being lazy, as   
he caught sight of the masked, tuxedo-clad man in his   
sights.   
  
"Oh no you don't!" he yelled, throwing a flying   
kick at Tuxedo's back.   
  
It all happened quickly: the top hat flew off, the   
mask shattered like the clay it was, and the grunt of a   
girl. Ranma picked himself and the intruder up, and   
his jaw dropped in surprise.   
  
"Akane?!"   
  
"Is this what you've been doing all this time?" Akane   
asked angrily. "Eating like a pig?"   
  
"What the hell are you doing here?!" the martial   
artist demanded. "I thought you were supposed to be on   
Nemesis."   
  
"I was," she admitted. "Sypha approached me and made   
me an offer I couldn't refuse. She would send me to   
Earth, so long as I wore this stupid costume and tried   
to stop you."   
  
"Stop us?" That definitely didn't sound like Sypha's   
doing. "Why?"   
  
"How should I know?" Akane asked in frustration. "I   
just wanted to end this stupid conflict, so you can   
come home."   
  
"Akane, this isn't my home."   
  
"Of course THIS place isn't!"   
  
"I meant this world!"   
  
"What's so bad about it, anyway?"   
  
"Don't you see? We're beating the Sailor Senshi!   
They can't possibly protect a planet."   
  
And to that Akane nodded. "Maybe. But that's still   
no reason why you... and the others... are fighting.   
Look at Ukyo... she's not fighting."   
  
"Ukyo's working with us."   
  
"What?"   
  
"She's not supposed to blow her cover or anything;   
she's just there to keep people happy."   
  
"Is Ukyo happy about it?" she asked.   
  
Ranma shrugged. "I haven't seen her for a while.   
How should I know?"   
  
"Although she doesn't look it, she's miserable,"   
Akane informed him. "She says she likes all the   
business she gets, but I can tell. Her eyes say   
something different."   
  
"As if you're one to know."   
  
Akane sighed. "Where's the others?"   
  
"Gone, dead, or whatever," Ranma replied. "The   
question I've got is, what am I going to do with you?   
Do you have any idea the kind of position you're   
putting me in?"   
  
"You're not going to send me back to Nemesis, are   
you?"   
  
"Of course not. I want you where I can see you. You   
get yourself into more trouble without me."   
  
For that, Akane's worries melted away, and Ranma   
wondered if he said something.   
  
---   
  
Interview 2   
  
"I think I owe a lot of my time to Hokuto, my dear,   
dear friend."   
  
"Well, not really... she pisses me off sometimes,   
but in the end she's still my friend."   
  
"If it wasn't for her I'd never have learned as much   
as I did. It was she who gave me the insight on Ami   
Mizuno, in her weird way. What she did was this: first   
she would induce Mizuno to fall asleep. That way,   
Hokuto can use her dream walking powers, and she used   
those to bridge a gap between her and myself. See the   
relationship? Since I was constantly asleep it was   
easy for Hokuto to do."   
  
"Sure, I had choice words with Mizuno, but still...   
even if I didn't ever know her that much, I still felt   
crushed that she was an enemy spy. Everything I told   
her was the truth, and all from my heart... how else do   
you expect to win people over? Yet, she was so evil   
that no words could sway her (on the other hand, I'm   
more evil still)."   
  
"Hokuto served as my eyes and ears throughout the   
whole ordeal; she would go around and do her usual   
stuff: watch and observe. Then she'd come back and   
relay the news to me. In effect this surprised   
everyone who thought, since I was unconscious, that I'd   
be unaware of the events going on around me."   
  
"And I know for a fact that Shion knows that I know,   
even after what happened. He thinks it's the snake,   
but really, Thanatos never tells me anything important,   
ever. I felt his presence, I felt his breath, and I...   
I felt how he feels for me. God dammit, he makes me   
feel like such an idiot."   
  
"No, I don't mean that I was oblivious to his inner   
feelings... in fact, I shared them. The funny crap   
was that we couldn't say it to each other, no matter   
how alone we could get, no matter how intimate the   
moment. Our first 'date' was a spontaneous trip into   
town to the karaoke bar... I had loads of fun, and so   
did Shion, even though both of us are terrible   
singers. Something clicked then... we both knew we   
wanted to go, and we both knew we wouldn't refuse. Is   
this how it feels like to be in love?"   
  
"You see, I love him. He knows it, and I know he is   
the same. We just never said it... and for some reason   
there was no reason to. Everyone else knew, too, and   
in result they were pushing that we actually say it.   
That's pretty mean... but for some reason it doesn't   
put minds at ease until it's actually said."   
  
"Maybe that's why I... overreacted over what happened   
to him that day."   
  
"Slumbering between life and death, hanging by a   
thread, I wasn't sure if he'd ever wake up again. In   
fact, I did the most girly thing imaginable... I broke   
down and cried, right there, in front of everybody. I   
showed weakness, and that in of itself is unforgivable,   
but most of all... I never told him."   
  
"Not only am I stupid, but I'm also a coward."   
  
"The only consolation I had in that situation was   
that Kuonji wasn't there to see me. This may sound   
strange, but I'm jealous of her; she manages a strong   
balance between sexes, something I thought I could do   
since I was four. Although she sometimes dresses like   
and is mistaken for a guy, Kuonji's quite secure in her   
femininity. I, on the other hand, pretty much   
discarded both in my upbringing."   
  
"Oh, you want to hear about that? Well... here's how   
it goes. In a sense men and women aren't all that   
unalike; the most differences are physical. In the   
mind both can achieve an equal standing. It seemed to   
me, however, that either side was obsessed with the   
body of the opposite sex; my senses are too dulled to   
get excited over that sort of thing, thankfully. That   
doesn't mean I have no modesty; I treasure my body,   
but I also know that, compared to many others, it's   
frail, weak, and, well... lacking in attributes. So   
I'd rather if guys not look at me that way... but they   
still do... those perverts."   
  
"I think some call it a feminine mystique. It's not   
that I'm ashamed of my body or anything, you know. It   
just happens to turn out that way."   
  
"Just like the rest of the crap that happens to me.   
Shit happens."   
  
---   
  
Central Park, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Hokuto watched them arrive.   
  
The Shadow Weaver hid amongst the shadows, watching   
as the four remaining Sailor Senshi arrive at the   
'secret' location of the planar rift. Wedged open   
with solidified shadow substance Hokuto used it as a   
conduit to touch the shadow stream, and without it she   
felt powerless.   
  
The intentions of the girls was clear: they wanted to   
seal the rift, and Hokuto knew it would mean the end of   
her if they did; the void-ripper was destroyed in the   
last battle, and it would be difficult to obtain   
another working machine.   
  
Therefore, if the rift was sealed here, Hokuto would   
lose her shadow powers for good.   
  
And that was unacceptable.   
  
"Stop there!" she commanded.   
  
She saw the Sailor Senshi throw their eyes every   
which way, but none looked too surprised to note that   
she was there.   
  
"Hokuto Takemasa!" Sailor Moon cried.   
  
The Shadow Weaver emerged beneath the rift hovering   
over the smashed grass where the Mishima engine cube   
once stood. She kept her arms folded, and her cloak   
closed. "I can't let you touch this rift."   
  
"Hokuto," Moon said, obviously trying to reason with   
her, "the shadow stream is too dangerous. You don't   
need it to live."   
  
"Being a Shadow Weaver is my way of life," Hokuto   
replied. "My order will not end with my generation.   
You can't possibly understand those who are touched by   
the gray."   
  
"I'll bet," Mars snorted contemptuously. "That stuff   
is no instrument of good."   
  
"It was never meant to be!" Hokuto shouted, throwing   
open her cloak. Spreading her shadow out before her   
she unleashed a pair of shadow tentacles, each flailing   
in seemingly-random directions. "The shadow pure in   
essence because it is aligned to no superficial human   
value!"   
  
The Sailor Senshi scattered, and Sailor Mercury   
paused long enough to summon a blinding mist. Hokuto   
remained calm, however, and allowed the tentacles to   
seek targets on their own while searching out for their   
minds with her telepathic powers. She homed in on one   
just to her left, and ducked under the fireballs that   
sourced from that direction.   
  
Winding her arm up Hokuto threw a black bolt of   
shadow in Mars's direction, but she had no idea if she   
hit or not. She felt one of the tentacles tag Mercury,   
and the other go after Sailor Moon.   
  
And too late she figured out where Jupiter went, as   
she was caught in her headlock.   
  
"Give it up!" she hissed into Hokuto's ear.   
  
"When faced with death of life, how can one   
surrender?" the Shadow Weaver replied, and started to   
sink into her shadow.   
  
But Jupiter refused to release her hold, and tried to   
keep Hokuto from sinking completely. However, Hokuto   
had gravity on her side, and dismissed the solid   
shadow supporting her feet to allow the natural force   
to do its work.   
  
"Sailor Moon!" Jupiter cried, just as she entered the   
shadow stream, along with Hokuto.   
  
---   
  
As a consequence of having temporarily left this   
plane the tentacles badgering after Mercury and Moon   
vanished into the ground, the shadow of Hokuto which   
collapsed on itself.   
  
"It's now or never!" Moon heard Sailor Mars shout.   
  
"But what about Jupiter?" she wondered, worry in her   
voice.   
  
"She can't buy us time forever," Mars pointed out.   
"If we don't collapse the rift now Hokuto'll be back,   
and without Jupiter."   
  
"You might be right," Mercury agreed.   
  
"We can't just leave her like that!" Moon protested.   
  
At that moment a dark, oily substance spilled   
through the rift, and a black hand reached out.   
However, it was pulled back in just as quickly by   
more black hands, these more refined than the first,   
and more clawed.   
  
Hokuto was winning, Sailor Moon realized.   
  
"Forgive me, Sailor Jupiter," she whispered.   
  
At the same time Mars and Mercury threw fire and   
water attacks at the rifts shadow, and Sailor Moon   
began the sealing incantation.   
  
---   
  
"There's no escape," Hokuto gloated as she stood over   
the shadow stream, watching her shadow hands push   
Sailor Jupiter's head back into its oily mass. "You're   
so foolish enough to step into my domain, and now   
you'll die."   
  
"After you, I'll deal with your friends as well. So   
long as you think I'm a threat I'll never be left   
alone, and my life will be in danger. The only   
possible response is to kill you first."   
  
"Never again," the Shadow Weaver concluded, "will you   
ever seal the shadow."   
  
It was no use waiting for Jupiter to die; she would   
do so even without Hokuto's supervision. In her mind   
she willed herself back to Earth....   
  
But something was wrong; the rift was getting   
smaller!   
  
"Dammit," she cursed, focusing her thoughts on a   
desperation attack. "Not now...!"   
  
---   
  
Both Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars jumped back as   
Sailor Moon stood her ground, trying to complete her   
sealing spell, just as an even larger shadow hand   
emerged in a balled fist.   
  
"She's trying to wedge the rift open again," Mercury   
realized.   
  
"Not this time!" promised Mars, raising her arms.   
"Burning Mandela!"   
  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury shouted.   
  
But the hand only absorbed the attacks, and Hokuto   
realigned it to target Sailor Moon, totally ignoring   
the other two opponents. The closing rift struggled   
against the thickness of the shadow hand, and it   
appeared that the hand was winning.   
  
"You can't win!" they heard Hokuto shout in their   
minds. The hand's fist reared back for a direct   
punch. "I won't let you!"   
  
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"   
  
"Mars Flame Sniper!"   
  
---   
  
Hokuto realized too late that there was literally a   
hole in her desperate attempt to keep the rift wedged   
open, and that was the fact it was dependent on the   
hand being intact. The Sailor Senshi were clever   
enough to sever the hand at its base, rather than blow   
it up outright.   
  
Head sinking low, she couldn't help but smile in her   
melancholy way. "Touché...."   
  
---   
  
The mass of shadow substance that once made up   
Hokuto's shadow hand exploded like a water balloon,   
throwing the oily substance all over.   
  
Sailor Moon collapsed on her knees, breathing heavily   
with her mind racing over what went wrong.   
  
Hokuto was ready, that was certain. Mercury's plan   
didn't go as hoped, as, along with Hokuto, Jupiter was   
sealed out of Earth as well. It would be a difficult   
task to find her again, much less get her out without   
letting Hokuto back in, too.   
  
That is, if Hokuto saw it fit to leave her alive.   
  
Finally, Sailor Moon understood why the Fenril   
Knights refused to stop fighting... it was for the same   
reason she refused to give up when up against many   
other opponents.   
  
"Sailor Moon..." Mercury said, her voice trailing   
off.   
  
"Why?" she asked no one. "Why can't this cycle ever   
end?"   
  
---   
  
Interview 3   
  
"Darkness is the most pure of all that is pure."   
  
"That in of itself sounds quite radical, and I didn't   
come up with it myself... but in the beginning, that's   
all there was. Just plain darkness, blackness,   
whatever... it was so dark that you couldn't tell what   
the father of all creation looked like. IF there was   
such a being. All I know is that light is defined by   
the darkness around it."   
  
"In most creation myths and such there was a darkness   
before the dawn... heck, even that adage itself, too!   
In Greek myth Chaos spawned Nyx, the darkness, and she   
and Erebus eventually gave birth to light. In Genesis   
God created light. In our own stories there had to be   
a goddess of the sun before there was even a sun. See   
my point? Before light, there had to be a darkness   
there to define it."   
  
"They say it is because we are attracted to the   
light, and for one I don't blame them."   
  
"Neo Queen Serenity would have you believe that it   
is the light that is more pure, but if that were the   
case I think we'd all be trying to make the world   
darker (laughs). In the universe the darkness came   
first, and the light came afterward. Which is more   
pure? The darkness, of course."   
  
"The Black Crystal is perhaps the most brilliant   
example of that which is pure of the darkness. Whereas   
the Silver Crystal embodied all that was good and   
righteous in the hearts of men the Black Crystal   
embodied the leftovers.... It's the heart of the   
people, discarded by the people when they were   
'purified' by the Silver Crystal. It is one giant   
heart crystal of greatest purity."   
  
"She refuses to believe that, either because she,   
too, is naive, or an idiot. Maybe we're not so   
different, after all, considering that."   
  
"I think the reason why the Black Crystal emerged   
at certain points in time has to do with the light of   
the Silver Crystal. Whenever the light gains the upper   
hand in the eternal conflict the Black Crystal is   
born... and when it is shattered so too is the Silver   
Crystal. Not literally, of course... the Silver   
Crystal never got destroyed in its history, if Neo   
Queen Serenity is to be believed."   
  
"Two major events surrounding the appearance of the   
Black Crystal involved an Age of Purity; definitely   
not a coincidence. If the Black Crystal should fall   
now, this Earth is doomed, and the cycle will repeat."   
  
"I think this is what Wiseman fears most; we are   
caught in a never-ending loop of creation and   
destruction, between light and dark, order and chaos.   
If there's anything anyone should fear most, it's   
history repeating itself... and we may be powerless to   
stop it."   
  
---   
  
R&D, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Moving an office from the top floor down to a lower   
floor was a depressing way to look at it, Ayame   
thought, as the tech staff busied themselves in the   
security office overlooking the hangar, trying to   
convert it into the new control center.   
  
The equipment in the command bowl was deemed too far   
gone to be salvageable, as Chief Dumas informed Ayame   
in his analysis report. However, he went on, Kanna had   
the foresight to make backup copies of all essential   
files and functions, and while it would take several   
hours to convert the security office functions to   
primary command it allowed them the ability to keep   
running.   
  
She glanced over the terminals before the window,   
and stared down into the deep hangar bay that was   
ruined by Sailor Mercury only hours before. Most of   
the mess was cleaned up, as the shrapnel and parts were   
simply pushed into the recycler to be re-manufactured   
into more robots. One oddity discovered, however, was   
the missing body of Dr. Taydome's, which was replaced   
by a set of extremely dried bones that obviously didn't   
belong to the late engineer.   
  
Ayame reminded herself to summon Wiseman to answer   
that burning question, but that would have to wait.   
She was itching to find out whether or not Kanna was   
running into any problems on her mad sojourn, as it was   
critical to endgame.   
  
Standing behind her and to the left was Higure Furui,   
and when she looked back at him he seemed to be staring   
off into space. "Something the matter?"   
  
"I felt a disturbance in the wind," the old man   
replied. "It tells me that there has been a recent   
shift in the dimensional balance."   
  
"A shift?"   
  
The old man nodded. "Yes, and there may be a   
consequence to our idling at the moment."   
  
"What will you have me do?" asked Ayame. "We're   
stuck in a rut right now, and we've already exhausted   
the day and our people. Besides, what're we going to   
do, attack the palace again? They can just as easily   
do that to us."   
  
"The fact is they have not."   
  
"And that's how I'd like to keep it. I don't know   
how much Mizuno learned from her little spin trip with   
us, but she potentially knows about all our weapons,   
our strengths, weaknesses, and worst of all, our   
location."   
  
"You need to know if Kanna predicted this as well,   
and took proper measures?"   
  
Ayame nodded. "Why do you think the satellite   
link-up is our priority right now?"   
  
"Then perhaps your strategy depends too much on one   
person," Higure pointed out. "At this point our next   
action depends entirely on Kanna Rajura."   
  
"You don't think I know that?" Ayame shook her head,   
shrugging. "She set herself up that way; Kanna's   
leader in all but name this way. She's got an agenda   
of her own, that's for sure, but so long as that   
coincides with us I'm willing to let it slide."   
  
"When it does not?"   
  
"I sincerely hope it never comes to that."   
  
---   
  
Rolling juggernauts tore through the streets, the   
army of Mishima Heavy Industries plowing over cars   
like they were nothing. People fled and scattered in   
all directions, just to get away from three of the   
tank-treaded menaces known as GAIAs.   
  
The central GAIA held a large, black crystal in its   
arms, holding it out in front like it was diseased.   
The leader and its escort came to a stop at a central   
connection street in the city, where a fountain flowed   
serenely in the middle of the chaos.   
  
In mere seconds the lead GAIA was up to the fountain,   
and raised the black crystal chunk high into the air.   
With great power behind it the machine smashed the   
fountain, wedging the crystal chunk as large as its   
own body into the base.   
  
An incident similar to this one occurred all across   
the globe in every major city at key locations, each   
attacked by three robots carrying a black crystal   
chunk. In some of those cities the Peacekeepers, the   
volunteer organization designed to help prevent future   
conflicts, tried to stop the Mishima machines, but all   
attempts were met in failure as the robots were more   
than a match for them.   
  
Whenever a squad successfully placed a crystal they   
remained behind to keep guard, and while it served to   
diminish the Mishima army Kanna Rajura saw no reason   
to worry, as she still had plenty of machines to deal   
with the rest of the world.   
  
Escorted by the aerial CRONOS robots Kanna guided her   
Mosquito-- a faster variant of the Dragonfly, into a   
pass over the black crystal placed on top of the   
fountain. She lowered the buzzing airship closer to   
the ground as the three GAIAs did an about-face, with   
their backs to the crystal, arranged in a circle.   
  
The one known as the Crystal Spider watched as the   
black crystal chunk began to radiate its violet energy,   
spreading in a wave pattern centering from the chunk   
itself. By itself the chunk could do little harm to   
anything, but once the rest of the chunks were in place   
the real plan would begin.   
  
"This is going faster than I expected," Kanna   
admitted to herself. She shrugged, remembering that   
she was the only human in her army. "The robots can   
handle all of this, so perhaps it's time to secure the   
prize."   
  
With her escort following in tight formation, Kanna   
headed out toward her final destination.   
  
---   
  
Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Since most of the technicians were too busy trying to   
set up the new control center for Ayame that left the   
others to fend for themselves in the quest to alleviate   
boredom. Ranma and Akane reentered the room which they   
first encountered each other, finding that all the   
trash Ranma left in his hog meals was cleaned-up.   
Leaning over the back of the television set was Mousse,   
his back turned toward the door, and obviously   
engrossed in getting his video games to work again.   
  
"Hey, Mousse," Ranma greeted, his voice echoing off   
the walls, making it sound the more cavernous. "What's   
up?"   
  
Slowly the Master of Hidden Weapons pulled himself   
from over the set, and did a double take. He adjusted   
the glasses on the rim of his nose, then took it off   
and rubbed his eyes.   
  
"Is that Akane I see there?" he asked. "Or am I   
seeing things?"   
  
"Hi, Mousse," Akane greeted, feeling somewhat   
sheepish. "You look well."   
  
Mousse smiled. "Nice to see you again." He pointed   
a wrench toward her. "What's with the getup?"   
  
She looked down at herself. "Oh, nothing, really."   
  
"At least some of the old gang is still here," Ranma   
said, sighing. "Now all we need are Ukyo and Ryoga,   
and maybe we can die happy."   
  
"Such a jaded outlook Saotome," Mousse replied. "We   
lost too many of us, and there shouldn't be a reason   
to. I can beat the Sailor Senshi...."   
  
"On a one-on-one basis, you mean," Ranma added. "I   
think Ayame's right about this... if we actually stuck   
together from the start maybe we could've clobbered   
them a long time ago."   
  
"That didn't happen," Akane knew.   
  
The martial artist shook his head, and so did the   
weapons master. Akane saw Ranma's expression, and   
knew it was hard for him to admit that he was wrong   
about something.   
  
"We're the only ones left," Mousse shared sadly.   
"Shampoo, Kuno, and his sister. Miranda, Shion, Taro,   
Ryoga, and Hokuto, too."   
  
"Hokuto's gone?" Ranma said, sounding a little too   
hopeful.   
  
"Master Higure did one of his divination things, and   
that's how we know. We can't detect her presence on   
this world anymore, and the planar rift is sealed."   
  
"So you guys are losing?" Akane realized. "I thought   
you guys were winning."   
  
"You could look at it both ways, Akane, and both   
would be right," the weapons master replied. "We win,   
of course, but our price is often very high. Ayame and   
Master Higure don't fight, Kanna's disappeared. Ukyo,   
Sypha, and Cinder are on Nemesis, and Shizuka is in a   
coma. Even if there's still plenty of us left our   
resources are spread too thin for it to make a   
difference anymore."   
  
"Then what?"   
  
"We either quit, or hit them with everything," Ranma   
answered. He held up the black crystal hanging around   
his neck. "You know, Akane, there's one thing I can   
thank you for, and that's for that rose of yours."   
  
"Really?"   
  
"There's no way I can beat Sailor Moon without also   
tapping my mind." The martial artist tapped the side   
of his head with his index finger. "While I was in the   
berserk state I couldn't think straight, and if I   
can't do that I can't counter anything she throws at   
me."   
  
"Sailor Moon also healed you with her magic," Akane   
pointed out.   
  
"That's why you helped. Her magic didn't affect me   
enough to turn me into a zombie, but it did allow me to   
get control over my body again." Ranma smiled. "Next   
time I fight them I think I can control the power   
instead of allowing it to control me."   
  
"At least someone's got an edge," Mousse muttered.   
"I don't need any fancy crystals to beat them."   
  
"Suit yourself," Ranma said, shrugging. "You've   
still got that Chain Buster thing, too."   
  
"Oh, one more thing," the Master of Hidden Weapons   
added, "and it's good news. Apparently, Kodachi and   
Hokuto did enough damage to the Sailor Senshi that   
they're down by two."   
  
"That IS good news!" Ranma exclaimed, overshadowing   
Akane's worry.   
  
"That, and Sypha and Cinder holding up the other two,   
that leaves us three between the two of us," Mousse   
figured. "Still uneven odds, but doable. Even better   
if Kanna and Shizuka come back."   
  
"The fighting's not going to end," Akane realized,   
sighing. She faced Ranma. "Why are you still going on   
with this? If this keeps up both you and the Sailor   
Senshi will destroy each other, and then who'll protect   
Earth?"   
  
The excitement in the air dulled, as reality in   
Akane's words brought both Ranma and Mousse back down   
to earth. It was apparent to her that neither one of   
them thought of the situation in that manner, as they   
were too engrossed in beating their enemy that took   
away their friends and allies.   
  
She knew she would not get an answer, not now.   
Mousse resumed his work on the television set,   
occasionally pulling out wires and circuit boards,   
and Ranma wandered off to eat more of the Fenril food   
supply.   
  
Akane sighed, wondering if she was throwing her lot   
in with the 'enemy.' Ranma and Mousse accepted her   
without question, and she suspected that the others   
may accommodate that... what was left of the others,   
that is. There was no reason to alienate Ranma over   
her, at least.   
  
Yes, she decided, she was joining the 'enemy.'   
  
---   
  
Interview 4   
  
"Deathclaw likes me a lot, and I figured out why."   
  
"Over the millennia that the ghost dragon lived the   
only way he can touch, smell, eat, or any of the other   
things we corporeal, living, breathing creatures take   
for granted is to take on a host body. The sad part   
about it is that, after a while, the host is absorbed   
into Deathclaw's essence, becoming trapped with the   
curse of the ghost dragon."   
  
"With that in mind, I'm special somehow."   
  
"Theoretically speaking, as Mizuki tells me, since   
I am such a perfect match for Deathclaw, my body and   
soul will never be consumed by him. For all I know   
that could mean I'm like his reincarnated mate or   
something... brrr...."   
  
"It doesn't scare me in the least. At worst I could   
join the other lost souls absorbed by Deathclaw. At   
best, Mizuki tells me, I could be the solution to his   
curse. What that means is beyond me, but Mizuki   
thinks that, when I die, Deathclaw can finally die,   
too. I don't think he's eager to die yet, though, as   
his depravity from the living experience has him   
yearning for more. He wants to live as I live, and   
I've no problem with that."   
  
"There's plenty of other experiences I want to feel   
for myself. It's so much to do, and I've only one   
life to live it... but if I do it right, once is   
enough."   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
'Chaotic' would be the one word Kanna would use to   
describe the scene as she and her CRONOS honor guard   
hovered over the scene.   
  
Geneva, the capitol of Switzerland, was in a panic,   
as people from all over the world, seeking to see their   
new world government in action, fled for their lives   
as swarms of Mishima robots entered the city limits   
from all sides. The enclosed city, the traditional   
neutral ground, was systematically blocked-off to all   
traffic, in or out, as the GAIAs rolled on.   
  
Kanna spent a great deal of time planning what she   
termed as the Geneva project. After the siege of   
Crystal Tokyo the queen of the Earth was cut-off from   
the rest of the world, leaving King Endymion and his   
world parliament to handle running the world, as he   
wanted them to. However, the parliament was still in   
its infancy stages, and could not organize the   
Peacekeepers in an orderly fashion. Kanna scoffed,   
remembering that the bulk of the people camped outside   
Crystal Tokyo's makeshift border was made up primarily   
of news crews and thrill-seekers.   
  
The Peacekeepers themselves were a joke, as they had   
no means by which to stop the Mishima robots on their   
own. Any cudgel or kitchen knife they armed themselves   
with did little to dent the armor of the superior   
robot army, and eventually they had to retreat along   
with the people they were supposed to protect. As she   
predicted, the world was too dependent on the Sailor   
Senshi, and it certainly proved their undoing.   
  
If Kanna was in charge, she would make sure her   
Peacekeeper force COULD keep the peace before letting   
them go out and do nothing.   
  
She instructed the robots to ignore the bystanders,   
as they were mere nuisances. Any that were in danger   
of being killed were spared, of course, but attention   
was only spent on them long enough until such time   
they were out of danger. Nothing would halt the   
rolling juggernauts until they completely surrounded   
the place where the world parliament was meeting at.   
  
They did a fantastic job of clearing the way of   
people, Kanna noted. She wanted nothing between her   
and the parliament by the time she got there.   
  
---   
  
With her death scythe in hand Kanna marched through   
the halls of the parliament structure, once used for   
the now-defunct United Nations, followed by two   
smaller-scale Mishima robots that were roughly the size   
of humans; Taydome termed them as RHEAs, and they were   
nothing more than scaled-down GAIAs. Somehow the name   
seemed appropriate to the Crystal Spider.   
  
She met no resistance the entire way when she finally   
barged into the enormous parliament chamber. The boom   
of the door echoed throughout the chamber like a vast   
cavern, and suddenly Kanna understood the scale of the   
operation she undertook.   
  
Her eyes slowly passed from one side to the other,   
and she could make out the dignitaries from each of the   
governmental regions that took the place of countries.   
Each chair was manned by one of the many regional   
governors, who held the sway of power, representing   
their part of the world.   
  
Once she took it all in, she fixated her eyes toward   
the seat opposite the doors, where one man stood,   
dressed in a lavender tuxedo, and wearing a mask over   
his eyes. He was flanked at both sides by an honor   
guard, but that wasn't enough to magnify his   
importance. This man seemed to shimmer in the chamber,   
well over anyone else. All attention was certainly   
on him.   
  
"King Endymion," Kanna shouted, gripping her scythe   
tighter in her right hand, "I have come to demand the   
immediate surrender of the world parliament in the name   
of the human race."   
  
There was no laughing, as she expected. The world   
parliament members obviously knew about the onslaught   
Kanna was leading to their city for hours. Kanna   
herself was surprised she made it this far so fast, as   
she expected much more resistance out of the so-called   
Peacekeepers.   
  
"Who are you?" the king asked in reply.   
  
She spun her scythe around, and tapped its butt end   
down on the ground, allowing the sound to echo. "I am   
Kanna Rajura, the Crystal Spider. Your Sailor Senshi   
refer to me and my associates as the Fenril Knights."   
  
A wave of murmuring spread throughout the gathered   
crowd of dignitaries, each expressing their surprise or   
distaste at the mention of the well-known name.   
  
"You have many fine representatives from all around   
the world," Kanna continued, making a sweeping gesture   
with her left hand around the room. "However, none of   
the people I see here represent the interests of the   
human race."   
  
Another, much louder wave spurted from the crowd, and   
someone saw it fit to insult her. But the Crystal   
Spider was above such petty insults of her person.   
  
King Endymion raised his hands for silence, and the   
dignitaries slowly died down in their protests. He   
stared Kanna directly. "And what would the interests   
of the human race be?"   
  
"This world parliament is a step in the right   
direction," she said, and Kanna knew they would think   
she was dodging the question. "The people can have the   
decision power, as it's right there in their grasp!   
But, King Endymion, while they do have this choice   
now, who's end will they serve?"   
  
"They will serve the people," Endymion answered.   
  
Kanna shook her head. "No, Your Highness, not the   
people, but your own self interests."   
  
She allowed her words to sink in before continuing.   
"When your wife, Neo Queen Serenity, decided to take   
the world under her wings, did she not decide that the   
people of Earth needed to be cleansed?"   
  
"We determined that the source of conflict in   
humanity was our inability to communicate effectively,"   
Endymion corrected. "Fights between the people are   
born from miscommunication and conflict of interest,   
and it hurts to see loss of life."   
  
"Ah, how sweet," Kanna replied sarcastically,   
starting a pace around the room. "You deny that you   
sought to cleanse the Earth, that's fine. Yet you   
admit that humanity was flawed."   
  
"Not flawed, but misguided," the king insisted. "We   
knew humanity desired peace and harmony."   
  
"But at what cost?!" Kanna thundered, silencing any   
stray whisper in the chamber. "What is the price of   
peace, King Endymion? Could it be the heart and soul   
of that which makes us human?!"   
  
"I've heard the words of your wife, Your Highness,"   
she continued, moving on a roll. "She admitted that   
she used the Silver Crystal to 'change the hearts of   
man' in order to usher this era of peace. Do you deny   
what your wife and queen says?"   
  
Endymion offered no reply.   
  
"CHANGE the hearts of men!" Kanna repeated, for the   
benefit of the dignitaries. She thrust a finger in   
Endymion's direction. "A true confession in silence!"   
  
"Are you quite through yet, young lady?!" she heard   
one of the governors shout.   
  
"I'm the one down on the floor, governor, so you'll   
listen to what I have to say!" Kanna shouted back, her   
voice carrying more power that the governor was   
silenced in an instant.   
  
"So we have a non-believer," the Crystal Spider   
said. "That's fine by me, but," and she produced a   
tape player that was hanging on her belt, "I have here   
the audio proof that your queen altered your hearts   
and souls to suit her own needs!"   
  
"It was never our intention to take anything from   
the human race!" Endymion thundered, unwilling to let   
Kanna take pot-shots at his wife. "We removed that   
which was evil from humanity."   
  
"King Endymion, I quote a friend of mine when I say,   
'society judges what is good and evil.' I'm not saying   
that you injected evil into the people, but what I am   
saying is you altered the hearts of men to suit your   
ideal of humanity!"   
  
The audience murmured to itself.   
  
The master tactician produced a folded piece of   
paper, and allowed it to drop all the way to the floor   
as it unfolded. "What you see here is a laundry list   
of what is now considered 'evil' today, and what it was   
like before Neo Queen Serenity came to power." She   
lowered the list and began reading.   
  
"Slasher flicks, which used to be extremely popular   
in the late '90s, are now a harmful influence on   
people. Hunting as a sport is cruelty to animals.   
Cigarettes... well, maybe that's a good thing, but   
still. It goes on with everything else, like breast   
implants, assisted suicide, graffiti, pornography,   
Big Macs, guns, violent video games and films, and   
MP3s. It's a wonder chocolate shakes aren't banned,   
you know?"   
  
"All those have been proven detrimental to society,"   
Endymion justified.   
  
"How nice and caring of you," Kanna jeered. "You're   
not my mother; I would like to choose my path, not have   
it chosen for me. And somehow, I doubt the human race   
was designed to cater to the image of the world's   
mother, Neo Queen Serenity!"   
  
"We are not children to be spoiled! We are grown   
human beings; we are adults. We should have the   
ability to make our own decisions, be they right or   
wrong, or whichever way the wind takes us. I want to   
be free to choose what movie I want to see on a   
Saturday evening. I want to eat heart-attack meals if   
I wanted to. I want to be able to skydive. Heck, I   
bet lots of you guys miss your porn."   
  
Of course they wouldn't admit it.   
  
"The human race is not a race of children. The human   
race is nothing like sheep; we were never to be   
shepherded by those greater than us as the Sailor   
Senshi seem to make themselves out to be. We have no   
purpose in the cosmos without the desire or need to   
break beyond the barriers of our great mother, Neo   
Queen Serenity. The state humanity lies in is that of   
the mother and her children. But there is no room for   
the children to grow, learn, and experience life to   
their fullest potential. There's no room for us to   
make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes, because   
our mother keeps us from experiencing it. We are a   
stagnant race because of her. It's the classic 'do   
what I say.'"   
  
Kanna glanced around the room once, and stopped   
when her eyes fell on King Endymion. For the first   
time since she entered no one dared to breath a word.   
The king himself seemed to be at a loss of words, as   
his stance seemed to slump in place.   
  
"King Endymion," the Crystal Spider said, addressing   
the king directly, "perhaps you assume the role of the   
father. You don't know much of taking care of a   
child... or, at least, not as much as your wife, the   
queen. The foundations you lay here can only work   
toward the child's assertion toward independence, but   
it's not enough to hand them the tools, you have to   
allow them the chance to grow without bound. Each and   
every human being has the right to make their own   
choices, their own decisions. It's certain that you   
trust them enough to make decisions on their own, but   
still you shield them from possibilities."   
  
"Is that what you fight for?" asked Endymion.   
  
Kanna nodded silently.   
  
The king of the Earth sighed wearily, trying in vain   
to gather his thoughts. "Perhaps there was never a   
reason to fight to begin with. Our goals are the same,   
yours and mine. We seek the betterment of humanity,   
but, where you liken Neo Queen Serenity's rule as an   
overbearing mother to children, I see it as a protector   
of a young race with great potential for good."   
  
"And that's where we disagree, Your Highness,"   
Kanna pointed out. "You're directing humankind in one   
direction and slapping them on the wrist when they try   
to look the other way. You're trying to build some   
kind of master race, guiding people on the path you   
think is right and desirable. Hitler was trying to do   
the same."   
  
"And let me tell you, there's no such thing as a   
master race. No matter how well you groom us there's   
always a bigger kid in the playground we call the   
universe, and if you force everyone to conform to one   
set of values you squelch the possibility of another's   
outlook saving your skin. Sometimes it is the   
differences between people that produce a good outcome   
in the end, isn't it, King Endymion?"   
  
"Whether that be a difference of opinion or a   
difference of appearance," he said. "People can still   
make those choices."   
  
"But it's not enough when you limit the range of   
thought, is it?" Kanna shouldered her death scythe   
for the first time, and held up both hands, parallel to   
each other. "Ideas are confined into a box like this,   
and you actively discourage going outside the box. If   
it requires the sacrifice of life, of course it has to   
be evil. Yet those to be sacrificed sometimes do it   
willingly, but those who aid them are condemned for   
their heinous acts. If it required the death of three   
people to find a cure for cancer, would anyone take it?   
No... because three lives is three lives too many."   
  
"No one in their right mind would think to go outside   
the box, because Neo Queen Serenity used her Silver   
Crystal to scrape it clean from man's soul."   
  
"Humans thrive on imagination, and history has   
proven that those who dared to defy the norms are the   
ones who define the world today. The Wright Brothers   
proved that man could fly. Columbus proved there was   
more out there, beyond the vast sea-- the so-called   
New World to explore and conquer. Newton's theories   
gave way to the rise of modern physics. All of them   
were radical for their time, ridiculed for their   
outrageous thoughts, and yet their work endures to   
this day."   
  
She stared King Endymion straight in the eye. "If   
you're telling me that limiting humans is the road to   
salvation, then you're dead wrong."   
  
"Then what would you have me do?" asked the king.   
  
The Crystal Spider's lips curved into a sly smile,   
and immediately she felt the worry in his eyes, despite   
being masked behind a mask.   
  
"You will remove yourself from this chamber, and we   
will allow the regional governors to decide who should   
rule the Earth... Queen Serenity, or themselves."   
  
"Under the duress of your robotic army, of course."   
  
"Of course not. I plan on leaving for a good twenty-   
four hours so they can make their decision, and that's   
why you're coming with me."   
  
"So I cannot influence their decision, either?" King   
Endymion realized. He held up his cane. "Kanna Rajura   
of the Fenril Knights, I challenge you to a duel."   
  
Kanna laughed. "On what grounds?"   
  
"For the safety of the world and its people, I will   
not allow you to destroy all that we built!"   
  
She shrugged, pulling her death scythe from over her   
shoulder. She flipped a switch on the shaft of the   
weapon, realigning the blade into naginata form. "I   
see...."   
  
"If you lose, you and your Fenril Knights will   
surrender immediately," Endymion said, naming his   
terms as he descended to the floor.   
  
"And if you lose, you'll come with me."   
  
Endymion nodded. "Fair enough."   
  
Kanna took the initiative, raising her weapon high   
for an overhead slash. Endymion caught the shaft with   
his cane, holding it up with one hand at each end. He   
forced her back a few steps with surprising force   
until Kanna broke off the attack. She spun her   
weapon in one hand behind her, holding out her other,   
free hand in a 'stop' gesture, seemingly gauging   
distance.   
  
The king held back his left arm, holding the end of   
the cane, and slid the other end through his raised   
index and middle finger, mimicking a sword stance.   
Both he and Kanna circled slowly, each gauging the   
other, trying to anticipate the other's movement.   
  
This guy's a fool, Kanna thought, her eyes quickly   
passing from the masked face to the cane. I've   
definitely got the reach advantage, and he knows it.   
However, judging from his stance he is preparing for   
a high thrust.   
  
She read the intent in his eyes as he attacked.   
  
In a quick sweeping motion Endymion attacked from   
below, and Kanna reached down with her outstretched   
hand and grabbed the cane. His weight thrown off-   
balance, Kanna quickly switched off her hand and   
stomped down on the cane with her foot, freeing her   
hands to wheel her death scythe around to smack   
Endymion across the face with the butt end.   
  
Although hurt from the quick blow Endymion still had   
his wits about him, and used the force of both his   
hands to bring the cane back off the ground, throwing   
Kanna back a couple steps. He raised his right white   
glove up to his cheeks, feeling the sting of the blow.   
  
Kanna swept the weapon's blade close toward the   
floor, and a white column of ki energy roared to life.   
Tearing through the floor, throwing debris everywhere,   
the column launched itself toward the king. Endymion   
leaped to the right, avoiding the hit, but it collided   
with the podium behind him, throwing his honor guard   
into the air.   
  
He threw his body into a desperate lunge at Kanna,   
reaching his cane out to deflect the death scythe   
naginata away from the ground before the Crystal Spider   
could create another ki column. Kanna kicked the king   
in the face, valuing her distance game, and waited for   
Endymion to get back up to his feet.   
  
Although he staggered, Endymion appeared he would not   
give up. "Leave the others out of this," he demanded.   
  
She shrugged, holding her weapon back and her free   
arm forward. "Suit yourself!"   
  
Holding his cane close to his chest, Endymion   
charged.   
  
Obviously to the man's surprise, Kanna was almost   
expecting the attack. She quickly dodged the cane,   
but at the same time planted her free hand onto the   
king's chest. Using his own momentum against him the   
Crystal Spider heaved Endymion over her head as she   
lifted her arm. In a motion too quick for the gathered   
delegations to see Kanna quickly grabbed her death   
scythe with both hands, spun in place, and slashed   
upward at the flying Endymion, the curved end of the   
blade facing upward.   
  
Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Kanna as she   
lowered her weapon. Endymion crashed on the ground,   
face-first, his cane scattering across the floor.   
Trailing his descent was the two halves that was the   
remains of the mask he wore.   
  
The audience seemed to hold its breath as they waited   
for King Endymion to rise against the foul one, but   
Kanna Rajura knew who the victor was. With deliberate   
strides she came to his side, kicking him to roll over   
onto his back. She shouldered her death scythe, and   
picked up the defeated king by the shirt.   
  
Although Endymion was unharmed by the final attack,   
it was more than apparent that he was beaten.   
  
"This is why wars aren't settled in one-on-one duels,   
King Endymion," she hissed. Kanna turned to address   
the rest of the delegates. "As for the rest of you,   
you all have twenty-four hours to reach a decision."   
  
One of the two RHEAs approached, producing an hour   
glass from a chest compartment. Kanna snatched it with   
her free hand, and turned it upside-down. "When the   
sands run out, I'll be back."   
  
---   
  
R&D Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Well, Ms. Mishima," Chief Engineer Dumas reported,   
"communications are back online. We can initiate the   
satellite link-up at your order."   
  
Ayame nodded, folding her arms. About time something   
was going right.   
  
"Punch it," she ordered.   
  
Dumas nodded, initiating the link-up.   
  
And no one was surprised to see that Kanna's mug was   
dominating the signal.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
"What's this?" Sailor Mercury said aloud, as she   
finally finished repairing the communication system.   
  
"People of Earth," Kanna announced, and judging from   
the backdrop she was in Geneva, Mercury guessed. That   
already wasn't good news. "Your king has fallen."   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
Kanna stood before the communications hub her   
machines took over, staring at the camera as she gave   
her announcement. This chamber was meant to be used   
by the world parliament to address the world on   
important matters of the state, and since no one else   
was going to be using it for a while, she decided to   
take advantage of it.   
  
She allowed the camera a quick side pan toward the   
beaten King Endymion. "This man is unharmed, but now,   
my fellow people, we are at a crossroads. In twenty-   
four hours your world parliament will rend a decision   
put forth to them that will decide the fate of Earth   
forever. In twenty-four hours, the world will belong   
to the people, or to Neo Queen Serenity."   
  
"There has been some misinformation spread about us.   
You may know us as the Fenril Knights, a band of   
terrorists of the likes of the Black Moon Family. What   
I tell you is this: we are human beings. We are not   
your enemy, but your brothers and sisters, your sons   
and daughters... your fellow human beings. We, too,   
share the same basic human rights as you, and it is by   
that right we rose up against the dictator known as Neo   
Queen Serenity in dispute of her rule. It is our right   
as people to decide who governs us."   
  
"In good faith your world parliament is deliberating   
even now to decide if we shall be free from one who   
oppresses the expression inherent in the human race. I   
ask each and every one of you... 'Is this right?' That   
is a question each of you must ask yourselves, because   
it is you who will decide the outcome of this   
conflict."   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
Sailor Mercury, with both Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars   
hovering over her seat, all stared at the screen until   
it blanked out, the world-wide transmission terminated.   
  
Perhaps along with their hopes of a future.   
  
"She could've convinced me," Mars admitted, "but   
she's only telling one side of the story."   
  
"In her position, I wouldn't, either," Mercury said.   
  
"I should've seen this," Sailor Moon said, berating   
herself verbally. "The Fenril Knights are appealing to   
the people as their basis of power."   
  
"What sort of division do you suppose this could   
cause around the world?" Mercury wondered.   
  
"It doesn't matter; twenty-four hours is still a long   
time," Mars pointed out. "Just because that girl said   
they'll wait for a decision doesn't mean we won't get   
attacked."   
  
"You're right," Moon knew. "It's not over yet."   
  
---   
  
R&D Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Kanna, you've really outdone yourself this time,"   
Ayame muttered, shaking her head.   
  
She felt the presence of Higure behind her. "Well?   
What do you think?"   
  
"If you hope to justify your victory on the basis of   
the right of the people, then you are naive," the old   
man replied. "Neo Queen Serenity will likely be   
unwilling to give up even if Kanna has her husband in   
her hands."   
  
"So they're going to fight anyway," the leader said.   
"It looks like we may have to deploy the Dead End   
Buster after all."   
  
"Much of the equipment has been set-up already,"   
Dumas informed her. "All we need to do now is get the   
buster itself into position."   
  
"Get Ranma and Mousse ready anyway," Ayame ordered.   
"If the Sailor Senshi are on to us, we'll need their   
help. In twenty-four hours, this war will be over...   
one way or another."   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
Kanna glanced down at King Endymion, quite   
disappointed in the monarch.   
  
"Your plan will never succeed," he muttered.   
  
"It doesn't have to," Kanna assured him. "Even if I   
don't get my way I've bought more than enough time for   
my comrades to finish Neo Queen Serenity."   
  
She turned to look over her shoulder, where a third,   
dark form appeared. "I trust you're satisfied,   
Wiseman?"   
  
Wiseman's robed form levitated in the air behind the   
Crystal Spider, and the old man waved his shimmering   
hand over his crystal ball. The scene of the   
unprotected Crystal Palace appeared within. "The   
cycle of good and evil is about to draw to a close."   
  
"As it should be," Kanna replied. It took a great   
deal of time to work in Wiseman's plans into her own   
without making Ayame suspicious. While her plan to   
secure Ami Mizuno's body failed, at least Wiseman still   
had Taydome's body to work with. One brilliant mind   
was as good as another to the one born of Chaos.   
  
"And yet the close of one era is the beginning of a   
new," she continued. "Perhaps the gods will forgive us   
when the Mekani arrive... and Earth can finally work   
toward our most basic, common goal: survival."   
  
---   
  
Interview 5   
  
"Time travel's such an ugly concept."   
  
"We didn't find out until much, much later that it   
was possible for the Sailor Senshi to manipulate time.   
In fact, it was the dominion of one Sailor Pluto, who,   
as far as we could tell, was dead because she violated   
some fundamental law of time, a force definitely far   
beyond human comprehension."   
  
"So what could stop us from undoing our past?"   
  
"A lot, actually. According to Hokuto time has a   
very high resistance to change once its course is   
set; you have to overcome that incredible resistance   
in order to change the flow of time. It's almost like   
an electrical circuit in that respect, where a high-   
rated resistor can drop lots and lots of voltage, and   
it takes a lot of voltage to even get a decent current   
through it. Sure, a miniscule amount gets through it   
if you try, but it's usually so negligible that the   
effects aren't entirely noticeable."   
  
"For instance, let's say you wanted to stop the   
Black Moon invasion. That's almost what happened in   
Neo Queen Serenity's case, when her past self was   
brought to this time. Anyway, she went back home,   
armed with the knowledge that somehow, sometime, her   
subjects would stage an uprising, and she would be   
forced to exile them 'humanely' to Nemesis."   
  
"Okay, you don't have exact circumstance... you never   
can, really; it's usually something vastly different   
than what you thought it was. But you try to stop it   
anyway. You think you can change the hearts of the   
people and they would accept it. They'll accept it   
out of gratitude and a hope for a brighter future,   
where all the birds and bunnies are playing in the   
fields... yadda, yadda, yadda. Problem is, you can't   
predict everything, and there's always a rotten apple   
somewhere. Lots of rotten apples, in this case."   
  
"Blah, blah, blah, she couldn't prevent it. See   
what I mean? The effects of her attempt to avert the   
disaster are so barely noticeable that they may as well   
not have been done at all. Heck, I'm not even sure   
what she tried to do differently; I don't have the   
benefit of knowing how things went before, and Neo   
Queen Serenity probably doesn't know for sure, either."   
  
"The other reason you don't change time is because,   
when you change your past, you also lose your   
experiences in that timeline. I think humans learn   
better from their mistakes... I think. It helps   
prevent them from making the same mistake later on. So   
maybe the catastrophic annihilation of the kami was a   
terrible event... but at least Neo Queen Serenity is   
wiser because of it. After all, you just can't forget   
that you slaughtered billions of lives; you can only   
hope you never do it again."   
  
"If we changed the past to avert the uprising, then   
I don't think I'd be talking about this now. I   
wouldn't remember anything that's happened, and that's   
simply too important to me. I treasure and value my   
memories."   
  
"On the other hand, what would this world be like   
WITH the kami still around? That's the trade-off."   
  
"It drives me nuts to think of time travel; don't   
ever mention it again. However, if there's one thing   
to learn from all this, it's that events in time are   
created as we live them; THAT is what we can change   
because it hasn't happened yet. Time moves forward,   
and so do we."   
  
---   
  
Council Chamber, Palace of Solitude   
  
Ukyo suppressed her surprise when Sypha and Cinder   
entered with Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune as she   
sat back in the tall chair at the end of the table.   
  
The two Sailor Senshi were devoid of any shackle   
whatsoever, as Sypha saw to it that the two would not   
be able to try anything rash. The okonomiyaki chef   
knew it had nothing to do with the two kami, but for   
the reason the senshi held their hands out in front of   
them: both their index fingers were stuck in an old-   
fashioned Chinese finger trap.   
  
Other than the utterly ridiculous measure, Ukyo   
couldn't believe Sypha would listen to her.   
  
As the two Sailor Senshi were seated across the   
table, Ukyo cleared her throat. She realized it was   
pretty far down the table, and both Cinder and Sypha   
were making no moves to take seats of their own, as if   
waiting for something.   
  
"Well... I thank you for joining us," she began   
awkwardly.   
  
"As if you gave us a choice," muttered Uranus.   
  
Sypha raised her claw to pound on the insolent   
senshi, but Ukyo waved her away with her hand. "Well,   
geez, I think you decided. Why else would you come   
and attack the city I'm supposed to protect?"   
  
She knew the truth of the matter, but Ukyo wanted to   
see how the two Sailor Senshi would react to that. To   
her disappointment neither one budged or cracked in   
their composure or expression.   
  
Ukyo sighed. "Well, that's neither here nor there.   
What I'd like to discuss is the Mekani."   
  
Neither Uranus nor Neptune made a move to reply.   
  
"The only thing we know for certain is that they're   
coming. What I want to know is when they'll arrive,   
and in what number. Then I want to know our chances,   
given our current information."   
  
"They will arrive in five weeks," Cinder said,   
speaking up. "This is considering they have no   
incentive to speed-up their travel plans. We have no   
estimate on the scout party's numbers, but if they   
decide to speed-up their timetable I estimate their   
force will decrease by twenty-percent, judging from   
what we know of the Timeless Ones."   
  
"They're willing to sacrifice some of their kind to   
get here," Sypha added, "but not so much that they   
can't beat whatever is at their destination. If they   
decide to make haste they can be on us in three days   
with the bulk of their warriors, leaving their factory   
satellites, a light guard, and workers behind to   
catch-up later. The factory satellites are the key to   
their expansion."   
  
"Okay," Ukyo said, taking it all in. "So there's   
another variable. Given we really don't have anything   
around here to beat them up with, our chances go from   
slim to none."   
  
"The Silver Crystal," Uranus spoke up. "It can   
potentially wipe out the invasion party."   
  
"That's nice, but we don't have it," Ukyo replied.   
  
"If you let us go, then we can warn the queen and   
use it," Neptune added.   
  
"And what makes you think she doesn't already know   
about it?" asked Sypha.   
  
"Yeah, we're still sitting here," the okonomiyaki   
chef agreed. "Your queen is holding back her secret   
weapon to use against the Mekani. If she were ignorant   
of that she could've wiped us out a while ago."   
  
"Then you don't know Neo Queen Serenity that well,"   
Uranus replied evenly.   
  
"Given the situation, and judging from your lack of   
cooperation," Ukyo stated, propping her feet up on the   
table as she leaned back, "I'd rather take the five   
weeks and try to come up with a good weapon. By then   
I think our people can beat your despotic queen, too."   
  
"If you want us to cooperate, you'd better tell us   
what you want; I don't read minds."   
  
Ukyo sat up, leaning forward in her seat. "What I   
want out of you two is to surrender. I know my side   
won't surrender, and I'm doubting your side would,   
either... but the fact of the matter is, if we don't   
get on the same side somehow, the Mekani will gut us   
alive."   
  
"Why not forge an alliance?" asked Neptune.   
  
"Don't you get it? We're enemies. We don't like   
you people, and we're too proud to even ask you for   
help."   
  
"Aren't you asking for that help now?"   
  
"I'm asking for cooperation."   
  
Uranus snorted. "You're so reasonable."   
  
"I'm not the prisoner," Ukyo pointed out. "If you   
value your queen and your freedom, you'd better   
surrender. Or maybe you value your lives; I'm sure   
Sypha can find a way to take the sword and mirror from   
you two. We like sacred treasures."   
  
Neither Sailor Senshi said a word, opting to remain   
silent. Sypha, for her part, seemed rather eager to   
carry out that order.   
  
"They can't be used by an evil force like yours,"   
Neptune informed her. "They're useless without us."   
  
"We're not interested," Cinder said, fuming under   
his hood. "The power is enticing, however."   
  
"Are you two jackasses so stubborn that you'd rather   
die than join forces?" asked Ukyo angrily. "Are you   
people such pig-headed jerks that you can't accept us   
for who and what we are? You and your queen never gave   
us a chance from day one, branding us as outlaws the   
moment one of us loses her temper. Your thought   
police that defends Crystal Tokyo hunts us down because   
we're different from the rest of your carbon-copy   
cattle-people. I was just working, and I STILL got   
attacked, because my friend was there. Have you   
people no shame?"   
  
"Anything you people come up with is fraught with   
treachery," Uranus spat.   
  
The movement was too fast for the okonomiyaki chef   
to see, but Uranus somehow managed to kick her chair   
back into Sypha, and Neptune did the same with Cinder.   
A bright flash blinded her for a second, and Ukyo saw   
a sword appear, and slice through the finger trap   
holding Uranus's fingers together. She grabbed the   
sword with her now-free hand and freed Neptune in the   
same manner, just as the two kami were recovering.   
  
"Deep Submerge!" Neptune shouted, unleashing a   
magical torrent of water in Cinder's direction.   
  
For his part the cloaked salamander stood his   
ground, raising his heavy sleeve up to shield his   
face. As the torrent passed the salamander remained   
standing, apparently unharmed. Cinder threw down his   
arm, jetting out steam from his flame-thrower.   
  
Uranus busied herself parrying an overhead blow from   
Sypha's claw, then retreated and jumped over the claw   
on the sorcerer's other arm. The sword began to glow   
in her hand.   
  
"Space Sword Blaster!"   
  
Ukyo shielded her eyes as the attack impacted   
against Sypha, but the light was not due to the   
kami's death, but from the energy shield   
surrounding her. At that moment Cinder decided to   
change partners and slashed at Uranus, keeping her   
from pursuing her attack further.   
  
And somehow the chef was lucky enough to be the next   
of Neptune's targets.   
  
"Don't think I'm so out of shape," Ukyo warned, just   
as another torrent appeared, threatening to wash her   
out of her seat. Instead, the chef was ready for it,   
and leaped straight up into the air, reaching for her   
throwing spatulas. Taking aim, she threw, and the   
darts would have hit their mark had Neptune not been   
paying attention.   
  
Sypha chose that moment to butt-in, as her claws   
raked from behind. Neptune dodged to the side,   
spinning around as she went to face her new opponent.   
  
Ukyo watched as the two kami expertly attacked their   
enemy, forcing the two Sailor Senshi to put their backs   
together. Both senshi glanced at each other, and   
suddenly the mirror appeared in Neptune's arms. She   
shielded her eyes as the mirror unleashed a bright   
flash of light, blinding her eyes.   
  
She heard Uranus shout, "World Shaking," which was   
followed by an explosion. A draft filled the chamber,   
and Ukyo knew they were attempting to escape during the   
flash.   
  
As her eyes adjusted back to normal, Ukyo saw that   
both Sypha and Cinder remained standing in the same   
places as before. The flash was like a tick to   
Cinder, thanks to his mechanical eye's filters, and   
Sypha was likewise unhampered by the light, yet neither   
decided to give chase.   
  
Just as planned.   
  
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" asked   
Sypha, eyeing Ukyo suspiciously.   
  
"Taking them out would have been too easy," Cinder   
added.   
  
"If you thought of a better way than torturing them   
to death, then I would've listened," Ukyo said,   
turning her back to the two kami. "Face it, no matter   
how you look at it they'll be suspicious; the best way   
is to stage their escape. We can't just simply 'let   
them go;' we'd look like fools."   
  
She didn't feel the presence of either kami behind   
her back, which was still a good sign. At least they   
were still going along with her idea, even if it did   
seem stupid in its execution stage. At least the seed   
was planted; all they had to do now was wait for it to   
sprout.   
  
No, she didn't know Neo Queen Serenity at all, but   
she hoped the queen was a lot more willing to listen to   
her message than her outer-planet soldiers were. The   
fighting had to end, but the queen had to make the   
next step. It was only a matter of time before her two   
messenger-girls arrived on Earth, and Ukyo somehow   
knew that tipping-off the Mekani was a worthy price.   
She would rather face just the warriors than the   
warriors backed-up with the satellites that produced   
even more warriors, whichever way Neo Queen Serenity   
went.   
  
Everyone would lose when they arrived if no one was   
prepared to unite against the mechanical plague.   
  
---   
  
Interview 6   
  
"It's one thing to fight for what you believe in,   
and another to fight for what you think is right."   
  
"Strange, isn't it? To some people they essentially   
mean the same thing, but what you believe isn't   
necessarily what you think is right. What I mean by   
this: my fighting against the crystal Earth. I   
thought myself kind of lost, and I believed that the   
Sailor Senshi held the answer to my burning questions.   
I fought them because I thought they were responsible   
for what happened. I fought them because I believed   
they were the enemy."   
  
"But here's where it conflicts with what I think is   
right. If I fought for what was right, I would've   
sided with the Sailor Senshi. What is right is to   
fight for the people, and by fighting against the   
defenders of the people I was fighting against the   
people. It's a strange, ambiguous moral dilemma, and   
you know very well which choice I stuck with."   
  
"I don't regret my choice... not one bit. If we all   
took the time to ponder what might have been instead of   
what we can do to avoid it later then the human race   
should have died out a long time ago."   
  
---   
  
Shizuka Minazuki emerged from her quarters, shotgun   
slung over her shoulder, and her twin, snake-headed   
swords sheathed at her left.   
  
"Now," she muttered to herself, "it's time to end   
this once and for all, Neo Queen Serenity."   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Stay tuned for more.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	10. Sovereign of Silence

Souls of Fire #10: Sovereign of Silence   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
R&D Armory, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Mousse folded his arms as he leaned back against   
the wall closest to the door, watching as Shizuka   
raided the weapons cache as if the end of the world was   
coming. He watched her snap on an arm-mounted dual   
bolt launcher on each arm, then throw on a bandoleer of   
shotgun bullets over each arm. She then grabbed a   
medium-length harpoon and slung that over her shoulder   
as well.   
  
"Don't you think you're overdoing it?" the weapons   
master said at last.   
  
"The Sailor Senshi will pay for what they did to   
Shion," Shizuka hissed, barely paying attention to what   
Mousse said. "I'll be a good scout and be prepared,   
right?"   
  
"There's also such thing as being over-prepared, you   
know," Mousse pointed out. "I don't think you can   
carry all that."   
  
The priestess of Genbu spun around quickly, grinding   
her teeth. "Don't be ridiculous!"   
  
He shook his head, as the sudden shift in her weight   
caused the girl to fall onto her back. "If I were you   
I'd ditch just about all of that and go with what   
you're used to using."   
  
Unloading most of her acquired weaponry and quickly   
getting back to her feet, Shizuka reached into the pile   
of equipment at her feet and struggled to lift a mini   
gun. "But you don't know how powerful this makes me   
feel!"   
  
"If you can't lift it what makes you think you can   
fire it?"   
  
Frustrated, Shizuka dropped the mini gun, on her   
foot. Mousse winced as the priestess jumped around in   
pain, yelling and cursing as she went. He shook his   
head. "It's a wonder you're still alive."   
  
"Hey, I didn't get this far just so I get killed on   
stupidity," Shizuka shot back, rubbing her foot.   
  
"Neither did I," Mousse agreed. "But you couldn't   
possibly need that many weapons."   
  
"How do you know?"   
  
He gave her a blank stare.   
  
"Oh, right...." Shizuka's expression made her look   
completely clueless.   
  
The Master of Hidden Weapons shook his head, laughing   
to himself. "You never change, do you? Even after all   
that happened you're still the same."   
  
"Yeah," she replied. "Sucks to be constant in an   
ever-changing world, eh?"   
  
Mousse struggled to stifle his laugher. "Just don't   
change, okay? It's good to see something familiar in   
this bizarre world."   
  
"'Bizarre' would hardly describe it," the priestess   
pointed out. "In this insane world we're the only sane   
people left."   
  
---   
  
R&D Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"All functions have been transferred," Dumas informed   
Ayame. "Every function handled by the original C.C.   
will now work here."   
  
"That's good to hear," Ayame said. Forcing the   
technicians to work without sleep was a terrible idea,   
but it has been eight hours since Kanna made her   
world broadcast, and everyone was too on-the-edge to   
get some sleep. There was still a good sixteen hours   
before the final decision would come in, and it would   
take just as long for the Dead End Buster to be   
finished in setting-up.   
  
When Higure informed her that Ranma brought in his   
girl Ayame hardly gave it a second thought; there was   
better things to occupy her mind with than one guy's   
personal desires. This girl, Akane, appeared harmless   
enough, but then, so did Mizuno.   
  
On the other hand, the Sailor Senshi couldn't be dumb   
enough to pull the same trick again, she decided.   
  
Both sides had sixteen hours to finish up their final   
battle, and then the world parliament would decide   
their fates. However, it wouldn't be over until the   
battle ran its course, no matter which way the decision   
went, as both sides wished to resolve their differences   
once and for all.   
  
Even without her robot army, which was spread all   
across the world at key locations, Ayame knew she would   
win.   
  
One of the monitors flickered to life, as there was   
no main viewscreen as in the other chamber. Kanna's   
image appeared. "Ayame," she said in greeting.   
  
"Yes?" There was no time for pleasantries.   
  
"Do you want me to come back?" she asked hopefully.   
"I made sure King Endymion is going nowhere." The   
camera panned to the side, revealing the captured king   
tied, bound, and gagged on the back of one of the   
aerial CRONOS units, with two of the king's assistants   
looking on, horrified.   
  
"Do as you wish," Ayame replied, knowing she didn't   
have a choice in the matter anyway. "As you said, the   
king isn't going anywhere."   
  
Her face all smiles, Kanna's transmission ended, and   
soon the master tactician appeared before her leader,   
using the power of her black crystal shard.   
  
"Do you have any idea how the parliament will go?"   
asked Ayame, curiosity overcoming her.   
  
To her disappointment the Crystal Spider shook her   
head. "Honestly, I don't know if my speech was   
riveting enough. Looking back at it I think I made a   
couple mistakes...."   
  
"Can't do anything to help it now," the leader   
decided. "In sixteen hours, we'll know, but in the   
meantime, we fight."   
  
---   
  
Training Hall, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Look at this, Akane," Ranma stated, holding his   
black crystal necklace in his left hand. Standing in   
the middle of the empty room he glanced at Akane, who   
stood with her back against one wall. "With this thing   
I've managed to control the air a bit."   
  
"Your Hiryu Shoten Ha attack," Akane knew, "relies on   
a clash of temperatures to create a whirlwind blast.   
Is that how you're doing it?"   
  
He nodded. "It's kinda like how it was when I was   
fighting Saffron that time... just heat up the air   
around me so it doesn't depend on the opponent anymore.   
I think I can also use it to cool my body temperature   
more, and the blast will be much more fine."   
  
"But you haven't thrown anything that lasted much   
longer than five seconds, from what I've seen," Akane   
pointed out. "Even if you didn't have total control   
at the time... what makes you think you can maintain   
a blast?"   
  
"I'm not sure I want anything to last longer than   
five seconds anyway," Ranma replied, shrugging. "I   
don't think I could concentrate long enough to keep   
the spiral going, so quick blasts will have to do.   
Combined with my speed I think it'll more than make up   
for that problem."   
  
Akane shook her head. "Always the same Ranma," she   
muttered to herself. "Won't there ever be time for   
ourselves?"   
  
"Did you say something?" asked the martial artist,   
obviously unaware.   
  
"Nothing," she answered quickly, slightly   
disappointed. It's the same Ranma, all right; his love   
for the art was unmistakable.   
  
And then she wondered how long it has been since she,   
too, threw a punch in combat. It seemed like an entire   
lifetime ago, and watching Ranma theorize on how he   
can use the black crystal stirred old feelings in   
Akane's mind.   
  
Exercising every day simply wasn't enough, she   
knew. She was missing the old feeling of fighting   
against the odds for the one she loved, and somehow   
Sypha Blade offered her a chance to rekindle it, even   
if it was never the sorcerer's intention. Whether it   
was stopping Ranma from killing Sailor Moon or blowing   
up the Mekani device before it annihilated the Crystal   
Palace, Akane felt good about accomplishing something.   
  
Fighting in of itself was not evil, she realized,   
but what sets us and the Sailor Senshi apart is why we   
fight.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
Sleep would not come to those residing in the Crystal   
Palace, and for the past eight hours the technicians   
and specialists worked straight with the threat of   
total annihilation hanging over their head. Sailor   
Mercury typed away on her palm computer, using it as a   
substitute for the main computer's functions, ever   
since the EMP shockwave hit the city.   
  
The number one priority, Sailor Moon said, was to get   
the shield generator program back up and running   
before the Fenril Knights decided to launch their   
inevitable final attack. Pressure mounted as Mercury   
continued to reroute and simulate the main computer's   
functions, but her computer could only do so much; it   
couldn't hope to match the main's processing power.   
While there was no difficulty in rerouting functions   
there was the problem with getting the palm computer   
to actually run the frequency modulation program,   
which was forcing Mercury to over-clock her computer.   
  
The palm computer was attached to a number of heat   
sinks and spare memory drives, and even Mercury knew   
this makeshift main would never hold for more than a   
day, much less sixteen hours.   
  
All they had to do was keep it running for sixteen   
hours, Mars pointed out earlier. Easier said than   
done.   
  
Mercury paused in her programming, wiping her   
forehead and sighing wearily. The closest technician   
stopped to ask if he should take over, but she   
declined the offer, knowing that she was the only one   
who could fix the system quick enough. After all, she   
was the one who designed it in the first place.   
  
"And even then," she muttered to herself, "we never   
thought all the scenarios through. Perhaps we need to   
schedule an attack on the city every time we change the   
defenses," she added jokingly, although Mercury found   
no humor in it.   
  
The Fenril hacker-mercenary, Shion, managed to break   
through Internal Security's barriers easily without   
breaking a sweat, and in under five minutes, no   
less, judging from the time his electronic probing   
started to when he started taking down systems. Sailor   
Mercury wished she had his help, but wishing wouldn't   
salvage his mind out of the shockwave sent into his   
brain. In the brief microseconds before she was   
utterly consumed by the electronic-disrupting wave she   
knew it would be enough to shut his brain functions   
down, and if he wasn't dead already he wouldn't be   
coming around anytime soon.   
  
It seemed that whenever the enemy could become a   
potential ally, they had the terrible habit of dying   
soon thereafter. The thought irked Mercury, and she   
shook the idea from her head.   
  
That's just ridiculous, she decided.   
  
And yet somewhere in Mercury's mind she heard herself   
saying, "But it fits."   
  
Sailor Moon mentioned that Miranda Kusao suddenly   
appeared and actually defended her from Pantyhose Taro,   
but paid with her heart crystal. Shion, too, was   
willing to listen, and he was taken out by an unknown   
force. Shizuka, even though she refused to see   
eye-to-eye, sacrificed herself to contain Deathclaw,   
as the others said. Last Mercury knew Shizuka was   
still in a coma, and she'd likely stay that way until   
Deathclaw could be destroyed... if he can be, that is.   
  
Mercury sighed again, knowing that she spent enough   
time taking a break. Stretching her arms out and   
flexing her fingers, she resumed with the task at hand.   
  
---   
  
Crystal Garden, Crystal Palace   
  
The surroundings were not as familiar as the   
interior of the Hikawa shrine, but to Sailor Mars it   
would have to do, considering no one was allowed to   
leave the palace walls with the threat of attack   
impending.   
  
She sat in a relaxed, meditative position in the   
midst of the lush, green grass, with only the sound of   
a running stream being the only noise in the enclosed   
garden. While the others busied themselves preparing   
the defenses in their own way, it left Sailor Mars with   
absolutely nothing to do that was immediately   
apparent.   
  
What she needed now was a focus.   
  
She thought about lighting up a fire and divining   
an answer to their problems, but Mars shook her head,   
knowing that no real answer would come of it. The   
Fenril Knights surely suffered great losses to their   
numbers, and despite the threat of their own   
destruction they keep on fighting. Mars knew that she   
and her friends felt the exact same way.   
  
What they needed was a way to resolve their   
differences, because it was clear that the Sailor   
Senshi and the Fenril Knights were fighting for the   
exact same thing, when all the superfluous barriers   
were torn away.   
  
More people would die, and there would be more   
suffering, that was certain.   
  
Mars peered at the stream before her, and her mind   
flashed briefly back to the shadow stream, the dark   
substance superimposing over the clear water. She   
remembered the coldness of shadow, the existence of   
that between the darkness and light, existing in full   
in neither of their entireties. Despite that, the   
stream was cold, dark, black, and utterly devoid of   
the light.   
  
On the other hand, shadow was very commonly   
associated with darkness, even though it was not   
quite the same. This was the only way she knew Hokuto   
of the Shadow Weavers was wrong, as the shadow was   
predisposed toward the darkness. Both are defined by   
the light around it.   
  
It was unavoidable that the darkness should seek out   
the light, Sailor Moon once said, as they wish to   
grasp that which they cannot touch. It was a tragic   
life, but Mars had no sympathy for those who would   
ruin the lives of others to gain the unattainable.   
  
On the other hand, there were those from the light   
that embraced the darkness, such as the Fenril Knights.   
Some of them, particularly Shizuka, refused to believe   
that mankind was inherently aligned to the light. At   
least they recognized what they were doing, and acted   
accordingly; Mars came to realize the Fenril Knights   
went out of their way to remove the non-combatants from   
ground zero, something which many other opponents had   
little care to do.   
  
They still clung to their humanity, therefore it   
was a matter of luck and skill to sway them away from   
the darkness.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Sailor Moon cut off the communications channel with   
Luna and Artemis, who explained in detail what   
transpired in Geneva, and the current state in which   
King Endymion was being held hostage.   
  
Hundreds of Mishima robots, emerging from hidden   
factories in key locations around the world, took over   
many large cities and focal points in every continent   
in teams of threes, each bearing a large chunk of the   
Black Crystal, which surely indicated that Death   
Phantom managed to scrounge much power for his dark   
artifact since their last meeting. There were too many   
chunks to count, and Luna wasn't sure why the Fenril   
Knights would spend their resources on such a venture,   
but Sailor Moon had a good idea what they were up to.   
  
The Fenril Knights were using the crystal chunks to   
gather energy in localized areas, that much was   
certain, but what they were planning to use it for she   
did not know. The Black Crystal, by its very nature,   
absorbs power in order to grow.   
  
She wanted to ignore her own plight and flee to   
Geneva to rescue her husband, but another part of her   
refused to abandon her friends and subjects to the   
Fenril Knights. Many times enemies thought they could   
use her feelings toward Endymion against her, but   
Sailor Moon proved time and again that it would only   
strengthen her resolve.   
  
The war never should have happened, but it was too   
late to think along those lines now.   
  
She glanced at the nearby wall clock, and saw that   
eight hours passed since Kanna Rajura forced her demand   
on the world parliament. In sixteen hours her   
subjects would decide the future of the world, but if   
Sailor Moon knew the Fenril Knights they would only use   
that as an excuse to wipe her off the map, as they   
intended all along. Giving themselves a time limit   
only meant they found an edge-- one which had yet to   
make itself apparent.   
  
Leaving her thoughts of Endymion behind, Sailor Moon   
turned and walked out the door, knowing that the battle   
was about to begin.   
  
---   
  
Indeed, her feeling was correct.   
  
Arrayed in a row atop a skyscraper overlooking the   
Crystal Palace were the remaining Fenril Knight   
warriors. Kanna stood out in center, her left foot   
propped up on the knee-high railing, staring down at   
the assembling force of Mishima robots, all pulled from   
staging locations outside Crystal Tokyo.   
  
To her right was Ranma and Akane, the latter who   
chose to ditch her silly tuxedo costume for something   
more practical-- that is, borrowed clothes out of   
Shampoo's belongings. Kanna had no opinion about   
Ranma's girl, even if it seemed she popped up out of   
nowhere, but Wiseman assured her that she would not   
act against them.   
  
On her left stood Shizuka, then Mousse. While   
Shizuka ditched most of the weaponry she raided from   
the armory she still kept the wrist-mounted bolt   
launchers for good measure. On the other hand, if one   
looked toward Mousse she would understand where the   
rest of the weapons had gone, as he looked far more the   
walking armory this time around. He slowly unloaded   
his burden on the ground, setting a grenade launcher   
here, and a tripod for the mini gun there. Kanna had   
no doubt that Shizuka planned on using all of it...   
eventually.   
  
Kanna produced a remote control device, this one   
a rectangle of a box, with several knobs and buttons   
arrayed across the top, serving as a master control of   
the Mishima robots amassing below. She glanced back   
at the Crystal Palace, knowing that the energy shield   
was still quite down.   
  
There was no better time to attack than now.   
  
"Gentlemen," she announced, holding out the remote   
control, her thumb over one button, "this is your   
wake-up call!"   
  
---   
  
"I've got it!" Sailor Mercury cried enthusiastically,   
just as Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars entered the   
security office.   
  
Without hesitating, she powered on her new program.   
  
---   
  
Kanna narrowed her eyes in disbelief, and she heard   
Shizuka shout out a profanity, as the energy blasts   
from the Mishima army washed over the now-erect energy   
barrier around the Crystal Palace.   
  
"Not again," groaned Mousse.   
  
"Now what?" complained Ranma, irritated.   
  
"We don't have time for this," Shizuka agreed,   
looking toward Kanna expectantly.   
  
She nodded, keying several buttons on the remote   
control. "Fine, Sailor Senshi, you wanna play this   
game? Issuing general command order: Omega Strike!"   
  
At a single command of a button the entirety of the   
gathered Mishima robot army rolled forward at an   
accelerated pace. One after another the robots   
slammed into the energy shield, each hit causing a   
massive wash of an energy ripple across the dome, each   
vaporizing the offending machine. One after another   
the robots plowed kamikaze-style into the offending   
barrier.   
  
---   
  
"What are they doing?!" Mars shouted, aghast that   
the enemy would throw away their army in such a   
manner.   
  
The main viewscreen generated the situation   
perfectly, however, and soon the energy shield   
shattered into nothingness. Flaming debris lined like   
a wall where the energy barrier's border once stood,   
and the remaining Mishima robots plowed through.   
  
Mercury's computer flickered one, and died in front   
of her. "They've exhausted the last of our energy   
reserves in the emergency generators." She glanced   
back over her seat to the others, worry in her eyes.   
"They still have enough robots to level this place."   
  
"Looks like we're going out," Sailor Moon decided,   
sighing wearily.   
  
---   
  
In no less than thirty seconds the five Fenril   
watched as Sailor Moon, Mars, and Mercury emerged from   
the bowels of their palace and proceeded to spread out   
and demolish the remaining, twenty-or-so robots.   
Kanna folded her arms, staring down at the enemy in   
amusement, then played around with her necklace in   
anticipation.   
  
"Fire, water, storm, and ice," she muttered. "Look   
at them, at how they cannot possibly win without their   
magic to back them."   
  
"Then you find a way around it," Shizuka voiced as   
she stood behind the turreted mini gun Mousse finished   
setting-up. The tactician noticed the priestess was   
aiming her sights at Sailor Mars.   
  
"So which one do you want?" Kanna asked the others,   
although she had an idea what each of them wanted   
already.   
  
"I call dibs on Sailor Moon," Ranma said quickly,   
raising his hand.   
  
"Mercury's mine, then," Kanna decided. She eyed   
Akane, raising an eyebrow when she noted her long   
face. "What, you wanted her?"   
  
"It's not that," Akane replied, shaking her head.   
"It's just... it's not necessary to fight."   
  
"If we don't fight," the Crystal Spider countered,   
"I can assure you that the war will go on, no matter   
what decision the world parliament comes up with. This   
is our last battle; we have issues to resolve with one   
another. This battle is necessary because we haven't   
settled our personal differences yet."   
  
"And what do you expect out of me?" Mousse said,   
complaining. "There aren't enough of them to fight."   
  
"Hey, you didn't call," Ranma pointed out, shrugging.   
  
"Bee-ess!" Shizuka shouted, unleashing her hail of   
bullets toward the enemy below.   
  
"You can have what's left when Shizuka's run out of   
ammo," Kanna told the Master of Hidden Weapons,   
smirking as Mousse groaned in irritation.   
  
---   
  
As Sailor Mars ran for cover from the hail of   
bullets Sailor Mercury cast her eyes about, looking for   
the source of the attack. She tapped a hidden button   
behind her ear, turning on her visor. She scanned   
upward, and magnified the source.   
  
"Fenril Knights," she informed Sailor Moon, raising   
her arm. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"   
  
Her arrow of purity fired off into the air, sailing   
with the precision of Mercury's visor. Switching it   
off she didn't need it to see that the attack hit its   
mark, creating an explosion at Shizuka's mini gun.   
  
She felt the wind shift behind her and ducked just as   
Kanna swung her scythe across, nearly slicing Mercury's   
head off. Mercury spun about with her leg extended in   
order to sweep, but Kanna hopped over it in time, then   
jumped back for distance.   
  
"At least you'll be more of a challenge than your   
king," Kanna snorted.   
  
---   
  
Sailor Moon faced-off against Ranma, who stood   
beside another girl she didn't recognize. They   
exchanged quick, silent words, and the girl rushed off   
for safety as the martial artist clutched his necklace   
in readiness.   
  
"Why must we fight?" she asked, even though she knew   
the answer. There was no harm in trying to reason with   
him.   
  
"Because I don't like living in the same world as a   
parasite like you," Ranma shot back in a low tone. "I   
saw what you did, and you're only hungry for more   
souls."   
  
"What are you talking about?"   
  
The black crystal glowed in Ranma's hand, and Sailor   
Moon knew this battle would be different from the last.   
There would be no escapes, no primal instincts, and no   
second chances; this was all or nothing.   
  
Ranma held his free fist back. "You beat me once   
before, but you weren't fighting Ranma Saotome. I'm   
Ranma Saotome, and I accept your challenge!"   
  
---   
  
Sailor Mars's eyes watched as Shizuka calmly drew   
both her swords, holding each of the viper-pommel   
weapons underhanded. Mousse stood behind her with his   
arms folded in his sleeves, having salvaged what he   
could of his mobile armory with numerous guns slung   
over his shoulders.   
  
"Long time no see," the priestess of Genbu said,   
her eyes to the ground. She waved her arms back,   
deftly avoiding cutting herself with the blades.   
  
"Is this a double team, or are you fighting me   
yourself?" asked Mars, nudging her head toward Mousse.   
  
"Oh, I assure you, it's one-on-one," Shizuka replied   
lowly, slowly raising her eyes to meet her nemesis.   
"I wouldn't have it any other way."   
  
Mars gasped, as when Shizuka's mouth opened next the   
voice was not only her own, but that of the ghost   
dragon Deathclaw. Speaking at once, they said, "In   
this case, you can never win."   
  
"Deathclaw," the soldier of fire muttered. "Let   
Shizuka go!"   
  
Shizuka/Deathclaw laughed, as if amused by Mars's   
plea. "You don't get it, do you, prostitute? We are   
not merely host and parasite, but symbiotes. We draw   
power from each other, and not from a mystic weave as   
you do. This time, it will be you who will be   
punished."   
  
"It doesn't have to be this way!"   
  
"Why not?" This time it was Shizuka alone who   
spoke. "You and your friends took away everything that   
was important to me."   
  
"We found your family!" Mars continued. "It wasn't   
hard finding them in the records. Your parents are   
still alive, and so are your brother and sisters. You   
have a family to go back to."   
  
"How little you know," Shizuka said, shaking her   
head. "You know I was given to the Shrine of the Four   
Gods to be trained as a priestess when I was four, but   
you don't know why. You fool, you think that I   
consider them my family?"   
  
"What are you saying?" wondered Mars, realizing that   
the news was producing the wrong reaction.   
  
"I am the eldest child of that Minazuki family," she   
explained darkly. "As the eldest child and eldest   
daughter I could not carry the family name. In   
consolation my parents decided they would groom me to   
become a bride... but somewhere on the way they made   
two important discoveries. One, my mother was to bear   
my younger brother. Two, they discovered that I could   
not bear children myself, which made me the most   
ineligible bride."   
  
Sailor Mars shook her head, wishing what Shizuka was   
saying was untrue. It was too incredible.   
  
"They couldn't bear to kill me and legitimize their   
heir as the eldest child, so they 'mercifully' sent me   
to become the most useless occupation ever, and one   
which guaranteed I would never bear the shame of being   
without children. To my younger brother and sisters,   
I'm dead and don't exist. MAYBE my brother remembers   
me, but I wouldn't count on that... but really, they're   
no family of mine. My family is already dead."   
  
"I remember their names and faces, but I could never   
see them again. The only ones I had left were Shion,   
Hokuto, and Mira, and you took them all away from   
me. I'm the last one, and after that nobody will ever   
know what you did to me."   
  
"I don't have the talent like Ranma does," she   
continued, "nor do I have Shion's intelligence. I'm   
not powerful like Hokuto, or charismatic like Ayame, or   
gifted as Ukyo, or dedicated as Shampoo. I'm not   
strong like Mousse, or as fast as Tatewaki, or as agile   
as Kodachi. Nor do I have Mira's tenacity or Sypha's   
conviction, or Higure's experience, or Cinder's   
code of honor. I'm not cunning like Kanna, sneaky as   
Taro, or charming as Ryoga. I'm just Shizuka Minazuki,   
and I know the truth."   
  
"The truth is the most powerful weapon of all," she   
added, raising her bladess before her. Lowering her   
head, Shizuka yelled out a battle cry and charged.   
  
Hastily, Mars threw a fireball at the charging   
priestess, but she ran through it as if it were never   
there. She ducked under the first overhead swipe,   
then tucked and rolled to the right before the second   
could cleave her from the other side. She quickly got   
back to her feet, and immediately flipped backward as   
Shizuka took another wild swing with her left arm.   
  
"I am dead!" the priestess declared, "and I march   
into battle to get my life back!!"   
  
Her fighting style is unorthodoxed, Mars noted. The   
way she holds them, and the way she swings them, is   
like an extension of her arms. Or rather, as if her   
arms were the blades themselves. Reach definitely   
isn't a factor here, as the swords were only a bit   
longer than the length of her arms.   
  
Shizuka seemed to catch on to Mars's thoughts, and   
quickly sheathed her right blade. She rolled her   
left sleeve back quickly, revealing an arm-mounted   
bolt projector, and Mars knew it was time to start   
running.   
  
High-velocity bolts rained behind her, embedding   
themselves in the palace's crystal wall or corpses of   
the Mishima machines, with Shizuka madly firing in her   
enemy's general direction and trailing. The bolts   
launched in pairs, but in the speed of a machine gun,   
and it was all for Mars to hope that the device would   
run out of ammo soon from the way Shizuka was wasting   
the bolts.   
  
Either her own thoughts came true or Shizuka decided   
to switch tactics-- Mars hid behind one of the robot   
corpses as Shizuka pulled her right sword out again,   
and ran in her direction. Shizuka leaped into the air,   
intending to dive with her blades downward, but Mars   
was paying too close attention to the attack to get   
hit, and easily dodged. She threw a high kick toward   
the priestess's head before she could recover but   
Shizuka ducked lower to the ground instead of standing   
instinctively. Mars hopped over a quick slash at her   
feet, and sought higher ground on top of the corpse.   
  
Turning around quickly she summoned her flame. "Fire   
Soul!!" she cried, unleashing a bolt of her own.   
  
Shizuka turned over onto her back while lying on the   
ground, and kicked herself off the corpse and away   
from the fire attack. Quickly getting back to her   
feet the priestess quickly planted her swords into the   
ground and threw back her left sleeve to fire more   
bolts. Mars dropped down behind the robot corpse as   
the bolts flew over her head, but this time there was a   
telltale clicking in Shizuka's weapon.   
  
"Out of ammo," Mars realized.   
  
Risking a glance Mars looked over the corpse and saw   
Shizuka discarding the arm weapon. Instead of   
immediately picking up her swords again she threw back   
her right sleeve, revealing a second bolt projector.   
  
"Always carry a spare!" Shizuka cried, showering the   
area with more bolts.   
  
---   
  
Kanna thrust her naginata-style death scythe three   
times in Mercury's direction, each missing but coming   
in a hairline's width of connecting. Despite avoiding   
the actual blows Mercury felt the slice of air slash   
at her, and her new scars were proof of it.   
  
"You're too weak to fight," Kanna hissed, drawing   
her weapon back. "You can barely keep up with me as   
is! Give up before you lose your life."   
  
This time Mercury completely avoided the slash   
thrust, taking a side-step to the left. She summoned   
up her energy and threw blinding mist, shouting,   
"Shabon Spray!"   
  
Her enemy would have none of that, withdrawing her   
death scythe and spinning it quickly. Using the speed   
of the spin like a fan Kanna dispersed the mist easily,   
however, it was only a decoy. Mercury pivoted around   
Kanna's position and threw a raging torrent in her   
direction.   
  
Catching the full brunt of the attack from the side   
Kanna cried out in surprise, but managed to remain   
standing despite getting hit. Allowing the attack to   
run its course Kanna switched her weapon into scythe   
mode, and swept it in a wide arc, forcing Mercury to   
jump over it.   
  
"I'll admit, you're more of a challenge than your   
king was," the Crystal Spider said, "but it makes you   
no more fit!"   
  
"Fit for what?" replied Mercury. "War?"   
  
Kanna let out an angry cry as she charged Mercury,   
holding her scythe back in what apparently was going to   
be a wide arc attack. Mercury purposefully back-   
stepped until she felt the presence of a robot corpse   
behind her, and leaped over it backward at the last   
moment. She heard the sound of the scythe slam and   
tear against the metal, followed by Kanna's angry   
obscenities trying to get her weapon unstuck.   
  
"Why are you prolonging this war?" the soldier of   
water asked, walking around the head of the corpse,   
trying to give the appearance that she was not going to   
attack.   
  
For what it was worth, Kanna was too busy trying to   
get her death scythe out of the corpses' armor. "And   
you for fighting it?"   
  
"Brilliant people such as yourself don't need a war   
to define them," Mercury continued. "Your idols were   
distinguished in wartime, but that wasn't the only   
place where they could be recognized."   
  
"It's the best place!" hissed Kanna.   
  
"You don't have to fight. We don't have to fight.   
Battles are not the only place to exercise the mind."   
  
The Crystal Spider, despite being no closer to   
unwedging her weapon, chuckled to herself. "You fool;   
you think, just because I left you a profile to hack,   
that you know everything about me? Do you remember   
when I asked you to send flowers to David?"   
  
"Yes, I remember. You wanted to apologize to your   
old friend."   
  
This time Kanna removed her grip from her death   
scythe, as if she were giving up, but she turned and   
faced Mercury with angry eyes. "Why did you do it?"   
  
"What?" She was trying to think of what the Crystal   
Spider was up to.   
  
"Why did you send the flowers?"   
  
The answer seemed obvious to Mercury, but she knew   
there had to be a trick to it somewhere. Kanna was too   
smart to ask such a simple, naive question. "Because   
I wanted to do you a favor."   
  
Mercury surprised herself, having said that answer.   
She wanted to believe it was, "it was the right thing   
to do," but somehow the words were never spoken that   
way. And she had to admit it, she wanted to use it as   
a means by which to lure Kanna away from the enemy.   
  
And apparently that was the point Kanna was driving   
at. "You never stopped to think why that came up that   
time, did you? You never realized that I could've just   
as easily did it myself. You never realized I was   
baiting you, and I hooked you, line and sinker. You   
did it because you wanted a favor. What would that be,   
exactly?"   
  
To that Mercury could give no answer.   
  
"Favors, Mizuno," the Crystal Spider continued. "It   
is how things get done. Deals, concessions... call it   
what you want, but your queen offers and asks nothing   
in return. I can't trust that." She raised a fist,   
shaking it angrily. "You think I went to war because   
I like it? You think I have to prove something? I   
don't need to prove anything; I've proven it already!   
I'm a frickin' genius!"   
  
"Then why have you sided with the enemy?!" Mercury   
shouted. "Why have you...."   
  
"Sided with the Death Phantom?" finished Kanna,   
producing a reaction of surprise out of the senshi.   
"Oh, don't you worry, I know all about Death Phantom   
and the Children of Chaos. We all do, and we accept   
it, and we accept him for what he is-- and that's why   
we get along so much. But, as I said, Mizuno, people   
don't get things done without favors."   
  
"If we want something that he can provide, we need   
to provide him something he wants, too. Think about   
it; the reason the Black Moon Family failed was due to   
the fact that Wiseman and Black Moon's leaders were   
using each other, and they eventually weakened   
themselves enough that Sailor Moon could step in and   
mop up the mess."   
  
"We, on the other hand, learned from their mistakes,   
and he did as well. We cannot afford to cannibalize   
each other in this war. We wanted the citizens of   
Crystal Tokyo removed, and in return we gave Wiseman   
the services of Sypha and Cinder. We wanted chunks of   
Black Crystal... we got them provided I secured him a   
new body."   
  
Mercury felt a premonition in her head, and thought   
back to her encounter with Wiseman while undercover   
with the Fenril Knights, and the events following.   
"Death Phantom wanted to possess my body."   
  
"Unfortunately, you thwarted that plan, and we had to   
resort to using Taydome's body instead," Kanna said   
grimly. "We still got what we wanted, even if it   
didn't work out as well as I hoped."   
  
"You needed to remove the people of Crystal Tokyo in   
order to attack us without holdbacks," Mercury knew,   
"but why do you need the Black Crystal?"   
  
"Tell me, Mizuno... did you use that crystal prism we   
gave you much?"   
  
It was then the soldier of water realized what Kanna   
was up to. "The radiation from the Black Crystal   
serves to undo the magic of the Silver Crystal, doesn't   
it?"   
  
"Perhaps," the tactician replied, unwilling to give   
any ground to her enemy. "The radiation of the Black   
Crystal serves as a counter to the Silver Crystal's   
magic... but you don't know...!"   
  
Suddenly, Kanna reached over and grabbed her death   
scythe. Its bladed end flared with a brilliant white   
light, breaking through the cracks in the corpse's   
armor. Mercury shielded herself from debris as the   
armor exploded spontaneously, throwing up much smoke   
and dust.   
  
Her eyes peeked back in the corpse's direction, only   
to see a silhouette in the smoke, then Kanna, with her   
scythe raised back, leaping through the wreckage.   
  
"You don't even know HALF of what's going on!!" she   
screamed, continuing her relentless attack.   
  
---   
  
R&D Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"They are fighting long and admirably," Higure said   
in awe. "Even without taking breaks in-between they   
have managed to tie up the Sailor Senshi for nearly   
three hours now."   
  
"Only because they're all playing with chickens,"   
Ayame pointed out. She folded her arms, lowered her   
head, and shook it, disgusted that the Sailor Senshi   
were blatantly trying to buy time for themselves for   
some reason. Turning toward Chief Dumas, she asked,   
"What's our ETA for the Dead End Buster?"   
  
"About ten-to-twelve more hours should do it," the   
engineer reported. "We are trying to shave more time   
off that, but it's becoming rather difficult."   
  
"You'd better find some short-cuts, because we aren't   
going to have much time left," Ayame warned. "The   
Sailor Senshi are reserving their powers on purpose,   
and making our guys waste theirs. Ranma's still   
looking strong, so he's pacing himself well. Kanna   
already wised-up to this idea from the looks of it, and   
is pacing herself accordingly. Shizuka, on the other   
hand, is being a complete idiot and wasting all her   
ammo. The only thing going for her now is she has   
Mousse as a back-up, and he's still fresh."   
  
"In other words, they will run out of energy sooner   
or later," Higure interpreted. "We have also detected   
two energy surges approaching this world from space."   
  
"Not Sypha and Cinder?" asked Ayame.   
  
"They would not use such unconventional travel," the   
old man pointed out. "I believe their charges managed   
to elude them."   
  
"Damn," cursed the Fenril Knight leader. "It's got   
to be Uranus and Neptune. How long until they arrive?"   
  
"If they keep their pace up, they will arrive in only   
six hours. In our favor, I would point out that they   
would be exhausted, too, so they may not be able to   
contribute as much as we think."   
  
"Fights can't last for sixteen-hours straight without   
fatigue," Ayame knew. "By the time we deploy the   
buster, everyone'll be too tired to do anything about   
it, no matter what happens out there."   
  
"Was that your real plan?" asked Higure.   
  
"Kanna isn't the only one who can think," the leader   
said, smirking. "I don't expect our guys to win, but   
I do expect them to come back alive. What I really   
expect is a tired, battered, fatigued Sailor Moon,   
helpless to the Dead End Buster. No matter what she   
does, she's at our mercy."   
  
---   
  
Ranma let out an anxious roar as he threw another   
screw punch forward, mindful to manipulate the air   
around him to his advantage. A spiraling gale of wind   
pierced through the air, tearing it like a spear as it   
traveled in Sailor Moon's direction.   
  
As typical for the powerful Sailor Senshi, Moon   
drew a circle in front of her with her wand, and an   
invisible barrier deflected the blast of wind. Ranma   
could barely make out a slight cave in the shield as   
his attack lit up the shield, but the tornado blast was   
far too weak to push very far inward. The violent   
wind washed around and over Sailor Moon harmlessly, as   
it had done before.   
  
"C'mon!" Ranma shouted, annoyed. "Attack me   
already! Blow me up or something, at least something   
bigger than your stupid lasers. This is getting   
really boring."   
  
"Ranma!" he heard Akane shout, from her spot on top   
of the palace's outer wall, well away from the battle.   
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"   
  
"What's the point in fighting if your opponent   
doesn't fight back?!" he yelled back, irritated.   
  
"Even though this battle must be fought," Sailor Moon   
said finally, "it's no wish of mine that any more of us   
die over it."   
  
"Isn't it a little late for that?!"   
  
"The killing must end!" she pleaded. "You're   
fighting intending to destroy me and everything around   
me, but I can't repay that in kind."   
  
"Feh," Ranma scoffed, lowering his guard in his   
arrogance. He faced to the side, exposing his left   
flank to Sailor Moon, and folded his arms. "I didn't   
know it until a little while ago, because I couldn't   
see it, but I realized that you've already killed many   
of my friends."   
  
"Ranma, what are you doing?!" demanded Akane,   
sounding even more frantic.   
  
Just as he expected, Sailor Moon refused to take   
advantage of such an obvious invitation to attack.   
"Seeing Akane made me realize how much I missed the   
people I wanted to avoid for years. Shampoo was pretty   
strong for a girl, and a great fighter, even if she was   
a bit crude. You also got your hands on Ryoga, the   
only guy I considered my rival, and turned him into a   
grocery bagger."   
  
He flashed a cold stare at Sailor Moon. "Answer me   
one question, though."   
  
"What?" Sailor Moon asked, perplexed.   
  
"Why did you let Ryoga keep his soul and not the   
others?" the martial artist asked bluntly, his anger   
barely contained in his composure. Ranma resisted the   
urge to simply blast Sailor Moon while she was coming   
up with the answer, but thought better of it, knowing   
that was the kind of thing the others might do.   
  
But Sailor Moon responded with a confused expression.   
"Stealing souls? What are you talking about?"   
  
"Don't deny it!" Ranma cried, unable to contain   
himself any longer. Feigned stupidity would not be   
tolerated out of the enemy. "I saw their bodies! You   
have Kuno, Miranda, and Shampoo over there, with their   
souls sucked out of their bodies. You're preserving   
the bodies for your own ends, leaving them empty shells   
so you can use them when your body dies, is that it?!"   
  
"No!" denied the senshi. "That's not it at all! We   
never stole their heart crystals; one of our own,   
Sailor Venus, had hers taken as well!"   
  
"What?" That was news to him. "I thought Kodachi   
killed her."   
  
"Your friend Kodachi may have won, but we don't know   
for sure, but the one thing we're certain is that both   
lost their heart crystals."   
  
He looked into Sailor Moon's eyes, and somehow knew   
she wasn't lying. Ranma shook his head, trying to   
shake off a probable hypnotic trance, but the feeling   
was still there. There was something in her words that   
rang of truth.   
  
Could it be...?   
  
"If you're not the one stealing their souls, who is?"   
he asked finally.   
  
Ranma heard a scream, and knew it was from Akane. He   
turned his head back toward the palace wall, where she   
should have been. Instead of her lone self there was   
another, standing tall and proud, with Akane in his   
strong hold. Even at a distance Ranma knew who the   
attacker was, and it had nothing to do with the   
telltale pantyhose tied around his waist.   
  
"Pantyhose Taro!" he shouted.   
  
"Don't call me that!" Taro cried, holding Akane   
tighter and clamping his hand over her mouth. "Well,   
Femme-boy, looks like you were the fool the whole   
time, blaming it on her."   
  
"Let her go!" Sailor Moon demanded, stepping up   
beside Ranma.   
  
"YOU killed them?!" Ranma couldn't believe what he   
was hearing, even if the words came out of Pantyhose   
Taro's mouth. "Why? I thought you hated the Sailor   
Senshi, too!"   
  
"I do, but you never learn, hermaphrodite." Taro's   
gaze fixated on Ranma, giving the martial artist a   
sudden chill. "I don't suppose you recall that we were   
once going to steal heart crystals, do you? I was the   
only one who could do it, as the others are too   
incompetent to do something so simple. Maybe if you   
were smart you'd have realized that heart crystals can   
augment people."   
  
"You stole their souls for power," Moon accused.   
"In order to beat me you turned on your own? How could   
you?"   
  
"At first it was because they got in the way," Taro   
admitted. "But, after capturing the rubber girl's   
heart crystal I've had time to reinvigorate myself,   
away from everybody else. During my recovery from our   
previous battle I learned that I could siphon the   
crystal's energy and use it as my own. The girl's   
skills became my own."   
  
"Miranda was a powerful martial artist already, and   
it makes you stronger still," Ranma realized. The girl   
he hardly wanted to know was a worthy opponent, and she   
at least had enough skill to keep up with Ranma   
himself. Combining it with Taro was definitely a bad   
thing.   
  
"It wasn't enough," Sailor Moon said.   
  
"Of course not; if you can shrug-off Femme-boy's   
attacks, even with his magic eight-ball, then of course   
I need to be stronger!" Pantyhose Taro proclaimed   
proudly. "I didn't come back to Crystal Tokyo   
unprepared, though; I needed something to defeat my   
former allies. So I blew up an EMP bomb I stole while   
I was running around."   
  
"You're the one who beat Kagami, not Mercury," Ranma   
realized.   
  
"I really wanted to get all the robots in the   
spread, but I couldn't resist offing Four-eyes. After   
getting rid of him I stumbled across even more heart   
crystals. What a surprise it was to see that even that   
girl Kodachi was harvesting heart crystals, too! It   
made victory that much sweeter. And not only that, but   
I've got one of the Sailor Senshi in the process."   
  
"Who could've imagined that I could become a god by   
making all of you part of me?" Taro said, holding out   
his other hand. A luminescent globe of energy appeared   
in his palm, and Taro closed his fist around it,   
winking it out of existence. "But I don't need parlor   
tricks like that Sailor Venus uses to beat you; the   
other three are more than a match for you, Femme-boy."   
  
"Don't call me that!" Ranma shouted angrily, feeling   
his anger rise higher with each moment. He felt the   
black crystal on his necklace resonate with power.   
  
"Ranma," Sailor Moon whispered, "your crystal...!"   
  
"I should've known all along," the martial artist   
said. "The entire time I've been fighting the wrong   
person." He raised a fist, and it trembled greatly.   
"All this time... the enemy was right in my face, and   
I wouldn't let myself see it...."   
  
Pantyhose Taro laughed in genuine amusement. "Funny,   
that. Rubber-bitch said the exact same thing just   
before I killed her. Do you think you're strong enough   
to beat me when she couldn't? Do you really expect to   
defeat a god?!"   
  
He tossed Akane aside, throwing her off the side of   
the wall to fall on the inside. She crashed with a   
loud thud, and Ranma's crystal resonated much faster,   
matching his temper.   
  
"I don't need to hide behind your girl, Femme-boy,"   
Taro decided, cracking his knuckles. He held out his   
right palm, revealing the Deathbuster star displayed   
prominently. "All I need is the power within myself!"   
  
"Don't let him anger you!" Sailor Moon warned. "He's   
trying to get you to make mistakes!"   
  
"I don't care," Ranma hissed angrily. "He's got   
Kuno, Kodachi, Miranda, and Shampoo... and he's not   
going to get away with it!!"   
  
The Deathbuster star glowed, crackling with black   
lightning. From its abyssal bowels emerged a heart   
crystal, followed by another, and another... until all   
four of Taro's collected heart crystals revealed   
themselves. Ranma could hear the echo of their owners'   
voices in his head, begging for release.   
  
And yet, Shampoo's voice was not among them.   
  
---   
  
Only Shizuka Minazuki could hear the voice of   
Shampoo in her mind, as she was yet another prisoner of   
the curse of Deathclaw, but such desperate cries from   
lost souls were far from her thoughts as Mousse handed   
her back her grenade launcher, reloaded with the last   
of the shells.   
  
She saw Sailor Mars duck behind another of the   
Mishima robot corpses, and the priestess of Genbu aimed   
and fired. The machine exploded, sending smoke and   
debris up in the air as Shizuka discarded the spent   
weapon for the last time.   
  
Holding her hand backward, she ordered, "Gimmie the   
Fire Buster Mark III."   
  
One hand was a big mistake in hindsight as Mousse   
unceremonially dropped the heavy weapon on her.   
Shizuka collapsed onto the ground under the weight of   
the weapon, her eyes fixated on the sky above and the   
dark clouds rolling in.   
  
Worst of all, she couldn't get up.   
  
"My turn," Mousse declared, discarding all of his   
other armory equipment. The weapons master was   
obviously itching to fight.   
  
"Uh... Mousse?" Shizuka yelled, almost pleaded. "I   
can't get up...."   
  
"Relax," Mousse told her. "I'll take care of this."   
  
Too weak, Shizuka decided. Maybe Mousse was doing   
her a favor, after all.   
  
There was still plenty of time before the zero   
hour to finish the Sailor Senshi for good.   
  
---   
  
"Come on out!" demanded Mousse, already feeling his   
sleeves for the nearest tethers, his eyes scanning for   
Sailor Mars. He knew for certain Shizuka wouldn't be   
lucky enough to take her out with the grenade launcher,   
at least with her luck. "You're dancing with me now!"   
  
He eyed the flaming debris where the last corpse   
explosion emerged, and the intensity of the heat forced   
him back a little. Nevertheless, Mousse kept his eyes   
trained on Mars's last known location, and studied the   
movement of the fire.   
  
One of the flames was getting closer.   
  
"Clever," he muttered, jumping straight up in the   
air. In effect Shizuka gave Sailor Mars more places   
to hide and snipe, what with all the flaming robot   
corpses in the courtyard. Reaching the peak of his   
jump Mousse tossed several tethers, weighed down by   
yo-yo's, but they incinerated before they could make it   
through the blaze wall.   
  
Okay, Shizuka, you just made this game interesting   
for me, didn't you?   
  
No sooner had his feet reached the ground Mousse was   
already dodging and tumbling from a barrage of   
fireballs, counting six as he went, knowing that six   
was the typical cap that Mars could muster at a time,   
judging from his observation of the Shizuka fight. He   
quickly estimated Mars's probable location and flicked   
out his left sleeve, throwing three free throwing   
knives in that direction. He could make out no   
distinguishing roar over the crackling flames, and   
assumed he missed, then proceeded to find a better   
attack location.   
  
Mars was giving him little options, as she   
constantly hid behind more of the flaming corpses and   
threw more fireballs his way. Mousse finally decided   
to ignore attacking her in that position, realizing   
that he would be wasting ammo that way.   
  
He eyed the Crystal Palace, and smirked.   
  
Turning around, he yelled, "Catch me if you can!" At   
top speed the Master of Hidden Weapons leaped up,   
landing at the opening of a second-story window, and   
kicked his way inside.   
  
---   
  
Shizuka craned her head up enough to see that Mousse   
was taking the battle inside the palace, and Mars was   
in pursuit, entering the same second-story window that   
the Master of Hidden Weapons did before.   
  
Lying back on the ground again Deathclaw said, "This   
is unacceptable."   
  
"No shit," muttered the priestess, essentially   
talking to herself. She pushed the fire buster off   
her body, allowing it to roll a little away from her.   
  
She felt her body move, trying to get up despite her   
exhaustion from running around for hours. Shizuka   
knew Deathclaw was trying to force her back on her   
feet, but unlike a puppet master the ghost dragon could   
not force her to do what he wanted.   
  
"C'mon, you're going to have to do better than   
that," Shizuka said. "I'm not letting Mousse finish   
her off."   
  
---   
  
Toying with the enemy was a hard thing to do on   
Kanna's part, but she had to congratulate herself on   
her self-restraint.   
  
Effectively, she and Mercury were trading blows as   
each hid behind a Mishima machine's corpse, hiding out   
like gunslingers in a Western. Either of them could   
probably gung-ho and blow up the other outright, but   
the fact of the matter was they were dead tired from   
fighting for straight hours.   
  
Kanna estimated they were soaking up around five to   
ten minutes between each trade-off attack, with neither   
of them gaining ground. The Crystal Spider labored to   
breathe, and she imagined that Mercury was feeling the   
same way-- she hoped. There was no other plausible   
reason why Mercury hadn't won if the case were   
otherwise.   
  
She looked down at her left wrist, pushing her   
loose sleeve back to check her watch. Kanna stared   
down at the watch for several heartbeats, then closed   
her eyes and concentrated when she realized that the   
hands were a blur to her vision. Concentrating on   
three deep breaths, the Crystal Spider opened her eyes   
again, and saw that she had a few more hours to go.   
  
"Bloody hell," she cursed between breaths, "I can't   
go on like this."   
  
Releasing her hold on her death scythe, Kanna picked   
up the necklace that hung around her neck, and stared   
at the crystallized spider encased under a layer of   
clear amethyst, as if looking for guidance. The   
bauble that was passed through her family was the very   
thing that gave Kanna her nickname, and it was a   
rather ordinary piece of jewelry. However, a small   
part of her wondered, since her days as a little girl,   
if the necklace were magic.   
  
Ever since she was a little girl the necklace seemed   
to bring Kanna good luck, and she usually looked to it   
when presented with a difficult situation. In times   
before she would be granted the insight to pull her way   
to victory. While it was likely not magical, Kanna   
thought it was a good psychological diversion.   
  
The necklace was telling her it was time to quit.   
  
She paused to consider giving Mercury a parting shot,   
but thought better of it, realizing she would have to   
concentrate on the black crystal prism to get out of   
her battleground.   
  
---   
  
Ranma spent threw several blasts in Taro's direction,   
and even occasionally allowed Sailor Moon to get a   
shot in. Pantyhose Taro, however, seemed to be taking   
it all in stride, basically shrugging-off whatever   
attack was thrown at him easily.   
  
The fact of the matter was, Taro was playing with   
them.   
  
The four heart crystals orbited around Taro like   
electrons to their nucleus: two traveling on the same   
path each, in orbits opposite the other, never coming   
into contact with one another. Black electrical   
energy surged every once in a while toward Taro, the   
nucleus, as he drew strength from the souls.   
  
Taro's got the speed of Kuno, the agility of Kodachi,   
the skill of Miranda, and his own martial arts prowess   
behind him, Ranma thought. It's almost like fighting   
all four of them at once, except there was only one   
enemy body to deal with.   
  
"It's no use," Ranma muttered.   
  
"We can't give up!" encouraged Sailor Moon. "For   
your friends, and mine, too... we can't lose!"   
  
Ranma cast a glance in Akane's direction, who had   
retreated away from the palace wall since being   
released by Taro. His eyes met hers, and Ranma saw the   
concern in her expression.   
  
Taro had to pay.   
  
Despite Sailor Moon's warnings, which fell on deaf   
ears, Ranma rushed Taro head-on, the black crystal   
hanging from his neck glowing a constant violet hue.   
Anger and frustration transformed into raw power as   
Ranma's adrenaline kicked in, and he threw several   
rapid punches and kicks in succession.   
  
Pantyhose Taro dodged each and every blow, his hands   
in his pockets. Ranma's anger burned brighter as he   
could not land a single blow on his opponent, not even   
one of the orbiting heart crystals if he wanted to.   
  
A single, quick strike, too quick for Ranma to see,   
was all it would take to pull the martial artist out   
of the engagement. Ranma paused to stare down at his   
chest, and saw that Taro slashed it open, drawing the   
barest traces of blood in a clean scar. The pause was   
all that was necessary for Taro to continue his   
relentless attack, as he quickly pummeled Ranma on top   
of the head, then planted his foot in his chest and   
kicked Ranma away.   
  
He sincerely wished that Sailor Moon used that   
opportunity to launch her own attack, but instead she   
was there to break his fall. Ranma cast a quick glance   
back at her, and hissed, "What the hell are you doing?   
Attack him!"   
  
"Ranma, listen to me," Sailor Moon said, her voice   
hard and serious. "You have to let go of the crystal;   
you're letting it use you!"   
  
"Nobody, not even a crystal, uses me!" Ranma   
declared.   
  
"Please!" she pleaded. "The Chaos cells in your body   
are preventing you from beating him. You're trying to   
do everything by yourself, and we can't defeat Taro   
unless we work together."   
  
"Work together," the martial artist repeated in   
consideration. Ayame stressed the same thing from day   
one, and Ranma knew just as well as she did what   
happened when everybody went their own directions. It   
resulted in a fiendish bastard like Pantyhose Taro.   
  
"Are you taking your time?" taunted Taro, folding his   
arms. "Or are you adding another girl to your harem?"   
  
Ranma lowered his head, raising a hand to clutch the   
black crystal hanging around his neck. "Ayame, Akane,   
and Sailor Moon can't all be wrong," he decided,   
talking to himself. "Even if their words and goals are   
different...."   
  
He heard Sailor Moon gasp in surprise as he tore the   
necklace apart, yanking it off forcefully. Ranma   
barely felt the pain.   
  
Lifting his head up, he faced his enemy. "Yo,   
Pantyhose Taro!" He ignored Taro's obligatory   
protest, and wound his arm for the pitch. "Catch!"   
  
"What the...?!" Taro gasped, as the resonating black   
crystal flew through the air in his direction. In   
haste he raised his arms up, black lightning forming   
around his palms....   
  
The resulting explosion threw Ranma off his feet, and   
he felt himself fly backward until he smashed into the   
wall behind him, probably the palace wall. The   
intensity of the light blinded him so much that he had   
no idea what was happening, but soon the light died   
out, giving way to darkness as consciousness slipped   
from him.   
  
---   
  
A violent tremor shook the whole of the palace,   
causing Mars to lose her balance as she hunted for   
Mousse in the palace halls. The tremor lasted for no   
more than seven seconds by her reckoning, but that was   
enough of a window of opportunity for Mousse to make   
his attack.   
  
She tumbled backward as knives, thrown terribly due   
to the sudden tremor, landed on the ground in front of   
her. Mars quickly stood up and summoned a Fire Soul,   
sending it down the hallway, but it was too slow to   
catch her opponent, who ducked into an adjacent hall.   
  
Even though the palace was technically her home   
ground advantage, Mousse was the one who was making the   
rules.   
  
The moment the fireball soared past him the Master of   
Hidden Weapons reappeared, and threw several tethered   
weapons her direction. Mars saw that she had nowhere   
to run, and tried to summon another fireball, but the   
tethers quickly wrapped around her arms and legs. She   
stood back against the pull from Mousse, as he tried to   
force her off her feet.   
  
"Not so hot without your hands, huh?" Mousse taunted,   
dragging his chains back in slowly. "You've thwarted   
me for the last time, Sailor Mars!"   
  
Mars, despite being preoccupied with struggling   
against the chains, noted that Mousse was covering his   
hands with his sleeves as he dragged her in. While the   
cloth would serve to protect his hands somewhat, it was   
still cloth. But there was only one way to find out.   
  
"Alright, you," she hissed, "three's a charm!"   
  
She rotated her hands around and clamed down on the   
chains holding her arms, and summoned her flame.   
  
Unfortunately for Mousse, the third time was the one   
that would finally do him in as Mars superheated the   
chains in her hands. The intense change in temperature   
quickly ran down the length of the chain, and Mousse   
screamed in pain as he shook his arms about, trying to   
release his hold on the chains. Long length of   
reddening chain fell down and out his sleeves before   
Mousse was freed from his self-made trap.   
  
As Mars loosened the chains from her limbs Mousse   
clutched his burnt hands close to his chest, both   
steaming hot. She felt a moment of pity for the   
martial artist as he screamed endlessly, but it   
transformed into shock and surprise when the   
temperature changed yet again in the air, this time   
coming from behind.   
  
She felt the spray of an icy liquid on her back and   
hair, bringing the overall temperature to the opposite   
Mars gave Mousse only moments before. Mars looked   
down at her arms, which seemed stiff, and saw that they   
were frozen solid, encased in ice in a matter of   
microseconds.   
  
"Leave him alone," Shizuka warned, the nozzle of the   
fire buster emitting vapor. Mars looked over her   
shoulder and saw the weapon trained on her, and knew   
her rival got her this time.   
  
The priestess of Genbu threw the buster back over   
her shoulder, and pushed her way past Mars, and stopped   
only for Mousse, who was too much in shock to say   
anything intelligible. She reached down and grabbed   
his hands, and stared at them, turning the palms   
upward to see.   
  
She then raised one of them for Mars to see, and the   
soldier of fire saw they were severely burned. "Take   
a good, long look at this, prostitute!" She released   
Mousse's hands, and grabbed her fire buster again.   
"I won't let you harm my friends... ever again!"   
  
Shizuka aimed her fire buster, twisting the nozzle   
counter-clockwise once, and squeezed the trigger.   
  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"   
  
Mars realized she had her eyes shut, and forced them   
open as Sailor Mercury's attack zipped down the cross   
hall and speared through the fire buster. A massive   
elemental explosion of fire and water erupted, and   
steam emerged from the impact point. Mars heard an   
explosion, and knew the Deathbuster weapon was the   
source.   
  
She could make out a silhouette emerging from the   
steam cloud, but Mars could not move her arms. It   
proved that defending herself became unnecessary, as   
Mercury emerged, looking quite tired, but unhurt.   
  
"Are you okay?" she asked.   
  
Mars nodded quickly, despite the shiver in her body.   
"Now I know how a Popsicle feels," she replied   
jokingly. "What happened to Shizuka?"   
  
"She and Mousse escaped," Mercury answered, staring   
down at Mars's frozen arms and chest. "We'd better get   
you defrosted before your body breaks apart from the   
cold."   
  
"What happened to the others?"   
  
She shook her head. "Kanna retreated, but I don't   
know about Sailor Moon and Ranma. I think they were   
the cause of the tremor a little while ago."   
  
---   
  
Where Sailor Mars was suffering the effects of   
extreme cold, Mousse agonized over his burnt hands, but   
he finally managed to control his yelling and screaming   
as Shizuka dressed the wounds with the equipment   
raided from the district hospital.   
  
He stared down once at his hands, now being bandaged   
tightly by the priestess, then out the window, toward   
the Crystal Palace. Despite night having fallen there   
was enough illumination from the moon to see some of   
the details of the structure. An entire section of the   
wall appeared cracked, as if by some massive   
explosion. Mousse wondered if Ranma was the cause.   
  
"Stop moving around," ordered Shizuka, her words   
muffled as she held the end of the bandage tape in her   
mouth to tear off the rest of the roll. Despite having   
her weapon blow up in her face, at least the priestess   
of Genbu seemed to be in her usual spirits.   
  
'Seemed' was the key word.   
  
"Uh, Shizuka... about back there," Mousse struggled   
to say, trying to find the right words, but feeling   
awkward despite himself. "Am I really your friend?"   
  
She spat out the tape in her mouth, eyeing Mousse   
carefully. "You aren't going to laugh or something,   
are you? Or get sentimental or whatever crap you   
Chinese Amazons do? Because I don't particularly like   
both." She lowered her eyes, and started on his other   
hand. "Besides, it was a slip of the tongue. Your   
well-being doesn't matter to me."   
  
And despite such a brush, Mousse understood   
perfectly. "I see. You're such an idiot, galloping in   
there like your weakling self."   
  
"Shut up," Shizuka replied, keeping up the pretense   
for a while longer. "At least I'm not the one that got   
burned, you dumb moth."   
  
Inwardly, he smiled, knowing this was exactly the way   
things should be.   
  
---   
  
Pantyhose Taro cradled his right arm carefully as the   
four heart crystals continued to orbit around his body.   
He stared down at his palm, where the Deathbuster star   
once was, replaced by bloodied, exposed bone.   
  
"I'll get you for this, Femme-boy," he vowed,   
flexing his ruined, skeletal hand into a fist. "You   
got lucky this time, but no amount of trickery can   
defeat gods like me!"   
  
He felt the Chaos cells flowing into his ruined   
hand, quickly repairing the damage done, but Taro knew   
the real scar would never heal until his enemies were   
all destroyed.   
  
---   
  
Ranma felt as if the world were dropped on top of   
him as he stared up at the ceiling, blinking out the   
blur in his eyes. He thought he saw a dark shape   
staring down at him, and for a moment he thought it was   
Akane.   
  
"Ranma?" she asked.   
  
Yes, it was Akane. "Uhh... Akane...?"   
  
"You'll be okay," she assured him. "You beat   
Pantyhose Taro."   
  
Ranma blinked, the words not registering in his   
mind at all. "I won?"   
  
"Yes!" she said, obviously overjoyed. Ranma felt   
her warm hand touch his.   
  
"He's still out there," he knew.   
  
"Don't worry about it," Akane told him, "you just   
rest and recover. Sailor Moon will take care of the   
rest."   
  
Sailor Moon. Ranma tried to sit up, but he felt a   
sharp pain shoot up his spine, and he was forced to lie   
down again. "Dammit."   
  
"I told you to rest, dummy!" Akane yelled.   
  
In the space of seconds the situation became much   
more clearer to Ranma, and his senses were on full   
alert. "Akane, what happened to the others?"   
  
She shrugged. "They must have run away. The other   
Sailor Senshi beat them back."   
  
"Where are we?"   
  
"In the palace, where else?"   
  
"What time?!"   
  
She told him, and the answer was not the one he   
wanted to hear.   
  
Ranma raised his hand, brushing off Akane's, and   
grabbed her arm tightly. "You've got to get out of   
here, now!"   
  
"W-why?!"   
  
"Trust me! You won't survive if you stay here!"   
  
"But I won't leave without you!" she cried. "So   
what's going to happen?!"   
  
---   
  
Standing out in the courtyard, no one could find a   
trace of Pantyhose Taro, as in her last encounter.   
Sailor Moon, however, wasn't looking toward the sky for   
a sign of the traitorous Fenril Knight, but for the two   
globes of light that descended from space.   
  
Beside her Mars and Mercury exchanged glances, then   
watched along with Moon as Uranus and Neptune landed   
from their long, hazardous journey through the stars.   
  
"Welcome home," Sailor Moon said in greeting.   
  
Both Uranus and Neptune were kneeling, despite their   
obvious exhaustion. Uranus looked up toward her   
leader, and stated, "I only wish the circumstances were   
better, Your Highness."   
  
"We would've been here sooner, but the enemy on   
Nemesis detained us for some time," added Neptune.   
  
Sailor Moon glanced at both Mars and Mercury, then   
back to the travelers. "The Nemesian Fenril Knights?"   
  
"'Fenril Knights?'" echoed Uranus, confused. "I   
thought they were remnants of the Black Moon Family."   
  
"It looks like we're all going to have to do a little   
catching-up, then," Mercury determined. "A lot has   
happened...."   
  
"And if we don't act soon... the Mekani are poised to   
invade in three days," Neptune warned.   
  
"Three days?!" Mars exclaimed. "That soon?"   
  
"That's what your 'Fenril Knights' said," Uranus   
confirmed. "But, take into consideration that they   
told us that a day ago, so we really only have two days   
before they arrive."   
  
"One thing just leads to another," groaned Mars,   
shaking her head.   
  
Almost on cue, jinxing the situation, all five Sailor   
Senshi felt the earth move beneath their feet. A   
violent tremor, much larger and more wide a scale than   
the black crystal's explosion, shook the city.   
  
"What's going on?!" Sailor Moon cried.   
  
---   
  
R&D Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
The mobile, remote watcher drones panned about for   
the main viewscreen, displaying the greatness of the   
Dead End Buster in its entirety. Water cascaded down   
its surface as it ripped through the surface of the sea   
The mighty airship, easily as large as the high-rise   
Mishima office building on its side, slowly craned a   
large cannon barrel downward toward its target.   
  
Ayame looked back toward Higure, and the man standing   
next to him, who she learned was Shang Long, the leader   
of the Cult of Orochi. The blind man dressed similar   
in style to a Buddhist monk, and carried a staff of a   
metal head and rings, the head fashioned in a sunburst   
pattern. He wore an oversized sun hat that easily   
concealed his face in shadow, and while it would   
disrupt the field of vision for most people the blind   
Shang Long had no use for eyesight.   
  
"This Dead End Buster is nothing more than the   
cannon mounted on a platform," Higure noted.   
  
Chief Engineer Dumas nodded in agreement. "The   
platform is dedicated only to keeping the cannon up in   
the air, and it required a high power output. In   
secret we prepared a second engine, this one much   
larger and more powerful than the one we used to power   
the Mekani device."   
  
Indeed, Ayame saw that the entire airship looked   
more like a flying turret. The platform was shaped in   
a delta pattern, with the triangular head facing the   
same direction as the cannon. The cannon's base was   
located at the foci of the platform to offer a better   
sense of balance while in the atmosphere. The entire   
platform was flat and featureless, save it was   
covered with numerous black panels.   
  
"The main cannon utilizes salvaged kami technology   
from Yamato's main cannon," Shang Long explained,   
referring to his god's traditional underworld fortress.   
While the fortress Yamato normally resided in the   
underworld of the Kami Plane it existed in the exact   
same location on Earth due to the efforts of the Sailor   
Senshi. Essentially, the Dead End Buster was another   
gift from Higure's allies.   
  
"Yamato's main cannon derives its power from eight   
fundamental sources of energy, particularly the   
elements, converting them into a single, concentrated   
blast," continued the cult leader. "Since travel and   
gates to other planes has been sealed, we had to look   
to other sources of energy."   
  
"Would it have been easier to siphon extra power from   
the new engine?" asked Higure.   
  
"It would drain too much energy from actually keeping   
the airship in the air," Dumas replied. "We had to   
improvise yet again."   
  
"The fact is," Ayame informed the old man, "Kanna's   
mission wasn't just to take over Geneva, but to place   
special black crystal chunks in key locations around   
the world. Those key locations also happen to be at or   
near centers of high population density. We are going   
to power the Dead End Buster by siphoning a little   
energy from everyone around the world, essentially a   
larger-scale version of what we did for Crystal   
Tokyo. Given our previous results, with this many   
people they'd hardly notice it."   
  
"And in order to divert the energy to the buster,"   
Dumas chipped in, "we also placed into orbit sixty-   
four special satellites in secret. Their sole purpose   
is to redirect the energy flow from each of the black   
crystal chunks to the Dead End Buster's collector." He   
pointed to the flat of the platform. "All that empty   
space you see is one giant energy collector."   
  
"In essence, we will never run out of energy so long   
as there are people living in this world!" Ayame   
declared, watching the Dead End Buster reach its   
zenith. The cannon barrel steadied itself toward the   
primary target, the Crystal Palace.   
  
"Thanks to the cooperation of Deathbuster technology,   
kami technology, Wiseman's magic, and our own human   
ingenuity, we have created the ultimate weapon!" the   
leader of the Fenril Knights said grandly. "Now, my   
friends, I present to you..." she gestured toward the   
main viewscreen, "the Mishima airship 'Night Hammer!'"   
  
---   
  
Sailor Moon glanced up toward the flying cannon, and   
shielded her eyes as violet lightning rained from the   
heavens. The dark energy blotted out the sky,   
illuminating the darkness of the night and bombarded   
the cannon's platform.   
  
Her eyes widened in amazement as the platform glowed   
momentarily, and realized that the weapon was gaining   
in power. The barrel's end began to coalesce with   
energy, and she knew what was going to happen.   
  
This was how the Fenril Knights planned to end the   
war all along, and they are willing to sacrifice some   
of their own to make it happen.   
  
Sailor Moon knew she had only a few seconds to find a   
way out of this situation as she frantically tried to   
sort out a solution from her mind.   
  
---   
  
Ayame leaned over the console under the viewscreen,   
her thumb hovering over a large, red button set apart   
from all the others. She asked the technician working   
at the station away after he set up the weapon, as she   
desired the honor of giving the Dead End Buster its   
first shot herself.   
  
"May God have mercy on your soul, you soul-eating   
bitch," she whispered, lowering her thumb quickly.   
  
---   
  
From their vantage point, well away from ground zero   
on the high-rise Mishima Heavy Industries building,   
Kanna, Shizuka, and Mousse watched the Dead End Buster   
ready to fire, and each shielded their eyes from the   
intense violet light.   
  
Turning her back away from the inevitable conclusion,   
the Crystal Spider shouldered her death scythe. "It's   
not over yet," she declared, vanishing into thin air.   
  
Both Mousse and Shizuka looked toward each other and   
nodded, turning their backs and vanishing just as the   
cannon unleashed its fury on Crystal Tokyo.   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
"We have deliberated for twenty-four hours," said the   
appointed regional governor, given the task of breaking   
the news to the world. He stood in the same room Kanna   
used earlier to broadcast her original message, and   
while no one else was in the room he felt the entire   
world was watching him. "And we have come to an   
unanimous decision."   
  
"In light of the Fenril Knights' insistence that we   
evaluate the rule of Earth-- whether it belongs to Neo   
Queen Serenity or the people-- we weight all options   
and considered every possibility imaginable. It is to   
our conclusion that we the people of Earth are the   
subjects of Neo Queen Serenity, and nothing can ever   
change that."   
  
"It is not enough that the people rule themselves, as   
we also need guidance and direction toward our goals of   
a better future. We need a nexus from which we can   
draw strength from in order to move on. We need a hope   
that can lead us through our darkest times, whether   
they be invasion from beyond the stars, or from within   
our own society. We need a mother, who's love and   
caring can guide humanity's destiny to a bright   
future for our children."   
  
"It is to our recommendation that the Fenril Knights,   
their leaders, proxies, allies, and army, are to be   
placed under arrest for charges of high treason against   
humanity. Terrorism will not be tolerated on this   
Earth, and you are no exception. By recommendation of   
the world parliament we order all members and   
associates of the Fenril Knights to lay down their arms   
and surrender. Your fifteen minutes are up."   
  
---   
  
R&D Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Ayame slumped back in her seat as the world   
broadcast came through the interference of the world-   
wide energy siphon for the Dead End Buster, and buried   
her face in her hands.   
  
The rest of the occupants of the control center   
remained silent, as no one dared to make a peep. Ayame   
vowed not to cry... not because her side lost, but   
for the fact that the war was over. The most exciting   
time of her life came and went in an instant.   
  
"Everybody," she whispered to herself, "thanks   
for everything."   
  
Silently, she stood up from her chair, and turned   
around. She saw that all eyes were on her, waiting for   
her to speak. Ayame's eyes glanced toward Higure, the   
old man who managed to survive the chaos even though   
those many years younger died. Her eyes passed to   
Shang Long, a participant in the shadows of the war,   
and a critical part in getting the Dead End Buster   
completed. Then she saw Dumas, Taydome's replacement,   
and Ayame saw sadness in his eyes, in that his work was   
over.   
  
Her eyes passed to the rest of the gathered   
technicians, and realized that this may be the last   
time all of them would be together like this. It was a   
moment Ayame wished would never pass, as she was the   
leader of the finest terrorist group history has ever   
known.   
  
I'm the leader.   
  
Nothing needed to be said, as all of them understood   
the significance of the announcement from the world   
parliament. No one cried, no one shouted in anger, and   
no one made a move to shrug it off-- this fate was   
accepted by all.   
  
She turned around, and stared down at the console   
before her. Looking back up at the Night Hammer in the   
viewscreen it seemed silly that the Fenril Knights   
would dare to surrender, but they were no ordinary   
terrorist group, they were the finest. Ayame opened a   
communications channel to the world parliament,   
flipping a pre-selected switch. Her next words would   
decide the future of her people, but she needed no   
time to consider them; Ayame had the words prepared a   
long time ago.   
  
Fifteen minutes, indeed. This phase of endgame was   
merely the beginning, and the final act had yet to   
play out.   
  
"I am Ayame Mishima, leader of the Fenril Knights,"   
she said, forcing her strongest voice to the fore.   
"On behalf of my allies and associates here on Earth,   
we surrender ourselves to the world parliament and the   
people it governs."   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
It's not over yet....   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	11. Ascension

Souls of Fire #11: Ascension   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@Nhotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
The process of justice was proceeding quickly, Ayame   
noted, as she was escorted through the empty hall,   
flanked by two Peacekeepers, one to each side. She   
kept her head high and proud despite her hands being   
bound in front of her with simple handcuffs. Despite   
the fact that she had no intention of making an escape   
the precaution was necessary.   
  
The people of Earth needed a quick scapegoat to blame   
all their problems on, of course. As with the Black   
Moon that came before them, the Fenril Knights expected   
no better treatment. All of them understood and   
accepted that when they surrendered.   
  
No sooner had Ayame made her televised surrender her   
followers hiding in the Mishima compound, as well as   
allies from all around the world, came out of hiding.   
The Peacekeepers were very eager in securing their new   
prisoners, as they were hovering outside the city   
limits for quite some time. Ayame remembered their   
faces: Higure, Shang Long, Dumas, and many other   
technicians, being lead away in surface vehicles, but   
there was special arrangements made for the leader of   
the Fenril Knights.   
  
Effectively, she was separated from her comrades, and   
she had to accept that. She wondered what they would   
do with Shion's body when they came across it in the   
compound... provided they found their way in, of   
course. It was inevitable that they would find it,   
but Ayame knew they could do nothing to it, and the   
Night Hammer would remain untouched, too.   
  
She recalled the aerial view of Crystal Tokyo-- or   
what was left of it-- after the Dead End Buster fired   
its maiden shot. Although the weapon was nowhere near   
full power, it did enough damage to open up a twenty-   
meter deep crater, about a quarter mile around the   
Crystal Palace, the sole survivor of the hit. It was   
a strange sight to behold, as only enough of the   
structure survived that could fit in a sphere centered   
at one end of the palace, where Sailor Moon stood to   
use her Silver Crystal.   
  
Ayame later learned that all of the staff in the   
palace survived the blast, but the Silver Crystal and   
the Sailor Senshi were drained. She smiled to herself,   
knowing that, despite the heavy gamble, everything was   
going exactly as planned.   
  
The rest of Project Endgame would have to be carried   
out by Ukyo and Kanna, she knew.   
  
---   
  
Palace of Solitude, Nemesis   
  
"Ow!" complained Kanna, as Ukyo injected her   
hypodermic needle into the tactician's arm. "Be   
careful with that!"   
  
"Sorry," the okonomiyaki chef apologized. "It's not   
like I do this every day."   
  
"Mind telling me what this's about?"   
  
"It's antibodies for the Chaos cells," Ukyo   
explained. "We got them off the Sailor Senshi we   
captured and released a while ago. All they'll do is   
eat the Chaos cells."   
  
Kanna nodded. Ukyo, having lived on Nemesis for   
quite some time, was far more privy to what was going   
on in the fringes than she. In particular, Ukyo had a   
much better idea why they needed to get rid of the   
cells, and purged them from her own body earlier. Both   
Sypha and Cinder's physiologies worked too different   
for the Chaos cells to be effective in the first place,   
so they never needed to be treated. And, strangely   
enough, it turned out that Shizuka's Chaos cells died   
out on their own, but somehow Kanna suspected it had   
something to do with Deathclaw's possession of her.   
  
No matter, anything beat having the cells at this   
point.   
  
As Ukyo finished her work Kanna glanced toward   
Mousse, who was already treated. Her eyes fixated on   
his bandaged hands, and knew that the Chinese warrior   
would not be going to battle anytime soon, thanks to   
the handicap. To a warrior, it was likely one of the   
worst things that could happen.   
  
"So Ayame surrendered, huh?" Ukyo said, breaking   
Kanna's train of thought.   
  
She nodded. "It's up to us now."   
  
"That's funny," the chef said, "because I tried to   
convince the Sailor Senshi to surrender, too." She   
laughed lightly, then shrugged. "Well, I guess things   
are going to work out... just not the way I wanted."   
  
"They're called plans, and they were meant to be   
broken," added Kanna jokingly.   
  
"So what was the rest of it?" asked Mousse, tapping   
his bandaged hands on his knees.   
  
"From here on we're looking at the Mekani," Cinder   
stated, entering the chamber, followed by Sypha and   
Shizuka. The cloaked warrior's mechanical eye whirred   
as it rotated inward. "However, the next step depends   
entirely on the Sailor Senshi to carry out."   
  
"Yeah, don't you just hate that?" muttered Shizuka.   
  
Sypha, the black sorcerer, cast a glance at Ukyo.   
"So, Great Leader," she said sarcastically, "what is   
our next move?"   
  
Ukyo cast a dirty look back. "I'm working on it."   
  
"You've been working on it for over a day," Sypha   
pointed out, and there was an obvious edge in her   
voice. "There must be something better to do than   
wait."   
  
"If you can think of a better way to bring the Dead   
End Buster here, feel free to elaborate," Ukyo   
offered.   
  
"As a matter of fact," the sorcerer said, producing   
her crystal ball from her sleeve, "I do."   
  
"We really can't ask Wiseman's help this time,"   
Kanna added, knowing full well that they had nothing to   
offer him. "We need to do it ourselves."   
  
"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Sypha assured   
her, her ruby lips curving into a devious smile. "I   
didn't spend time researching means to force open the   
Gate of Heaven for nothing; the principles I theorized   
can be applied here."   
  
Shizuka lowered her head, shaking it and groaning.   
"Here we go again."   
  
She reached into her sleeve and produced her   
favorite shotgun, one of her few surviving weapons.   
As the rack mounted on the top was still filled   
completely with unspent bullets it marked the weapon as   
being unused during the last battle with the Sailor   
Senshi. Shizuka opened the barrel, and slid the bullet   
that was already loaded out, and held it up to the   
light as if to study it. Without making any obvious   
observations the priestess slid the bullet back into   
the chamber.   
  
"So when do you want me to go back?" she asked   
finally, and Kanna was perplexed that Shizuka figured   
it out so quickly, despite being in the dark about   
Sypha's plan. The Crystal Spider herself had no idea   
what the black sorcerer was up to.   
  
Kanna didn't know what scared her more: the fact that   
Sypha came up with a plan, or that Shizuka figured it   
out before her.   
  
---   
  
Internal Security, Crystal Palace   
  
The only word that could describe the air that hung   
over the Sailor Senshi and the palace workers was   
'devastated.'   
  
Having barely survived the Night Hammer's onslaught   
by using the Silver Crystal to erect a shield at the   
last moment, Sailor Moon felt completely drained from   
the weight of the world pushing against her. In her   
desperation she realized she used up too much of the   
crystal's power, and it would take some time for it to   
reach it's previous power level. Yet, it would charge   
slower the more she felt defeated.   
  
There was no fighting that, as, if Uranus and Neptune   
were correct, the Mekani invasion party was poised to   
attack Earth sometime tomorrow. And that said nothing   
about how long it would take for Nemesis to get hit, as   
that was much closer to the invasion fleet, and there   
were still people living there. At worst they had less   
than twenty-four hours to save the Nemesians from the   
machines.   
  
"What I don't understand," Mercury said, trying to   
stir ideas in the pot, "is why the Fenril Knights   
haven't moved the people from Nemesis already, if they   
know what's coming."   
  
"At this point I don't think it matters," Mars   
pointed out. "We've beaten them, but they also forced   
us to heavy losses."   
  
"So now we don't have the Silver Crystal," Uranus   
said. "That doesn't mean we give up. I'll fight the   
Mekani even if it kills me."   
  
Neptune nodded in agreement. "The enemy forced us   
into this wall on purpose, however."   
  
"To think, they wanted US to surrender," scoffed   
Uranus.   
  
Could they have fired the doomsday weapon on purpose,   
even if they knew what was coming? wondered Sailor   
Moon. At first glance it hardly made sense, as the   
Fenril Knights loved Earth more than anything, and they   
were purposely throwing the planet into danger. They   
wouldn't do that unless they were planning something   
even bigger, something the Sailor Senshi hadn't   
considered before.   
  
"They asked you to surrender?" she asked Uranus.   
  
"Yeah, but they were just blowing steam...?" Uranus   
caught her own words, realizing something was wrong   
with that assessment.   
  
"Or were they?" Neptune considered, pausing to   
think.   
  
"Perhaps there is something else going on that we   
haven't considered," Mercury said. "What else did they   
say?"   
  
"Something about how it's better to be on the same   
side when the Mekani arrive," Uranus answered. "They   
refused to halt their little war over it, though."   
  
"Where's their leaders?" asked Sailor Moon, suddenly   
getting an idea.   
  
"Ayame, their supreme commander, is in Geneva," Mars   
reported. "The world parliament wants to put her on   
trial as an example."   
  
"But she's not the only one," Mercury pointed out.   
"The Fenril Knights was run by three people."   
  
"Does that count their Nemesian commander?" asked   
Neptune.   
  
Mercury shook her head. "We also lost track of Kanna   
and the others, as they were not part of the group   
detained by the Peacekeepers."   
  
"So do we talk to Ayame or to Ukyo?" asked Mars.   
  
Sailor Moon eyed both Mars and Mercury, one after the   
other. "Both. Sailor Mars, I want you to get to   
Geneva and convince Ayame to help us. Sailor Mercury,   
I need you to find a way back into the Fenril hideout   
and figure out how to communicate with Nemesis."   
  
"What do you want us to do?" asked Uranus, speaking   
for Neptune as well.   
  
"I want you two to rest," ordered Moon. "You two   
need to rest from your journey to fight the Mekani   
when they arrive."   
  
"But..."   
  
"We need you two back in fighting shape as soon as   
possible," she interrupted. "As we are now we can't   
hope to beat a large invasion force. Right now it's up   
to the Fenril Knights to make the next move."   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Sailor Moon threw herself on the mattress on her   
grand bed, absolutely weary from using her energies to   
protect her friends and people.   
  
"They never intended for us to die," she realized,   
saving those words for when she was alone. It was a   
concept the others might have difficulty understanding   
at this point, considering the mess the Fenril Knights   
made. "The Fenril Knights wanted to make a point...."   
  
"Yes," another voice whispered. "They wished to   
prove that the world could survive without the Silver   
Crystal."   
  
Sailor Moon was not surprised to see the reflection   
of the hooded Death Phantom in the ceiling crystal.   
"They would never think to do that unless they were   
certain they could thwart the Mekani invasion."   
  
"And certainly, it is true." The image of the Night   
Hammer appeared beside Death Phantom's hood. "This is   
the airship that bears the Dead End Buster, the final   
weapon of the Deathbusters which was never completed.   
With this they hope to wipe out the bulk of the   
invading force."   
  
"The bulk?"   
  
"They cannot win with this weapon alone."   
  
"Which is why they left us alive."   
  
"However, they never expected Vizier to figure into   
their plans. He is the only one who could ruin my   
plans for this world."   
  
"Vizier?!" Sailor Moon remembered the two-headed   
monstrosity well, as it was the creature responsible   
for the Chaos plague virus. "Wasn't he destroyed?"   
  
"You never questioned the true nature of the beast,   
have you, Sailor Moon?" Death Phantom replied coldly.   
"The creature you destroyed long ago was merely the   
macro form of the virus."   
  
She thought back to the battle. The creature Vizier,   
despite its ugly appearance and toothy mouths... every   
movement it made spores containing the virus were   
released. Despite the strangeness that Death Phantom   
was suggesting, it made sense.   
  
"Vizier IS the virus," she concluded. "The monster   
we destroyed that time was a being completely infected   
with its cells."   
  
"The Fenril Knights no longer have a use for Vizier's   
cells," Death Phantom informed her. "Even now they   
purge the cells from their bodies, now that Vizier has   
found the one who will become his new host body."   
  
"The host... it's Pantyhose Taro, isn't it?"   
  
"The energy from the crystal you destroyed in your   
last battle triggered the cells," continued the hooded   
man. "All souls shall become one, and he will become   
a god. The Mekani will be the agents to the Sovereign   
of Silence."   
  
"If Nemesis is preparing for the invasion," Sailor   
Moon said, "then that means the Mekani's invasion path   
is through there. But the rim of the galaxy is away   
from Nemesis's current position, so...."   
  
"The Mekani have already established themselves in   
Tau Ceti," Death Phantom informed her. "How else could   
your Uranus and Neptune discover them quickly? A great   
war is already being waged in Tau Ceti, the system of   
ancestry, and that is the reason Pharaoh 90's spawn no   
longer care for Earth. They are busy saving their   
own hides."   
  
"And you?"   
  
"I plan to return home, and you should think of the   
same."   
  
"Home?"   
  
"Tau Ceti."   
  
He had to be lying. "I belong here on Earth."   
  
"Think about it, Sailor Moon. Did you believe the   
Silver Crystal and the Black Crystal were indigenous   
to this system? How much of the Nemesian chronicle did   
you read, for real?"   
  
She had to admit to herself that she had not touched   
the histories at all, and shook her head.   
  
"The Moon Kingdom, your kingdom," explained Death   
Phantom, "would not go out of its way to defeat an   
enemy of another planetary system, would it? Your   
kingdom prided itself on peace and harmony, and you   
wished to spread that throughout the galaxy."   
  
"However, in the same system was the dark twin of   
the Moon Kingdom... the Empire of Nemesis. They did   
not share the same views as their celestial neighbors,   
and wished to expand their sphere of influence not   
through peace and cooperation, but through force of   
arms. In that respect they came into conflict with the   
Moon Kingdom first."   
  
"A great war raged across Tau Ceti between the Moon   
Kingdom and the Empire of Nemesis. "For the first time   
in universal history the Fenril Knights and the Sailor   
Senshi waged a terrible war whose sights were never   
seen since the wars first erupted against Chaos eons   
ago. Each side, however, possessed an artifact that   
reflected the world upon which they lived: the Silver   
Crystal of the Moon Kingdom, and the Black Crystal of   
the Empire of Nemesis."   
  
"The Moon Kingdom put the Nemesians at their knees,   
and brought the war to their homeworld with the   
intent of destroying the Black Crystal they believed   
orchestrated the conflict to begin with. The Black   
Crystal resided at the heart of the world, and it was   
there the last of the Fenril Knights fought the Sailor   
Senshi, and lost. The Sailor Senshi of that time   
succeeded in destroying the Black Crystal...."   
  
"But they also ended up destroying the rest of the   
planet as well," Sailor Moon knew.   
  
"There was nothing to be done, and the evil Empire   
was demolished, scattering its moons out of orbit.   
One of them eventually became known as Nemesis, the   
dark moon that erratically visits this solar system.   
The survivors of the disaster eventually died out."   
  
"However, even though their dark kingdom was   
destroyed, and the Black Crystal was no more, the   
Empire of Nemesis left behind their most dangerous   
weapons. As the disciples of Chaos the destruction of   
the original Nemesis brought about the birth of the   
entity now known as Pharaoh 90, and not even the Sailor   
Senshi could stop him."   
  
"In the wake of eliminating the Black Crystal they   
were in no condition to battle Pharaoh 90, and were   
forced to flee to this solar system. Leaving their   
homeworld behind they settled here to usher an era of   
peace and happiness, leaving Pharaoh 90 behind in Tau   
Ceti alone. They thought the creature would die out on   
its own and forgot about the past, looking forward to   
their era of peace, the Silver Millennium. They now   
had the chance to start over, overlooking a young race   
on planet Earth. They vowed they would never make the   
mistakes they had done to Nemesis again."   
  
"It's not okay to destroy an entire world for the   
convenience of survival," Sailor Moon knew. "Without   
the history we can't learn from the mistakes of the   
past."   
  
"From that point on a cycle of destruction would   
begin," the Child of Chaos added. "The light would   
eliminate the rising darkness, and only then would the   
light suffer elimination itself. Then darkness would   
rise yet again, only for light to return to start the   
cycle anew. It is depicted in the example of the   
former empires of old to the birth of Pharaoh 90, and   
such is how it will continue until this Cycle of Chaos   
is broken."   
  
"Because we defeated the Fenril Knights again?" Moon   
wondered. She shook her head. "The game is not over   
yet, Death Phantom."   
  
"Perhaps. Perhaps not." The dark man was conceding   
to no side.   
  
"Both the Silver Crystal and the Black Crystal are   
still in play. The cycle hasn't regenerated yet."   
  
"And what do you intend to do about it?" taunted the   
hooded man. "The decision may be made for you."   
  
Sailor Moon began to say something, but held her   
tongue, realizing that offering to negotiate with the   
Mekani Directors would be a meaningless gesture to the   
mechanical plague. It was hard experience in the past   
when the attempt was first made, as she nearly lost her   
life in an encounter with the Mekani Director. They   
were only interested in a world's natural resources,   
and killed or assimilated everything that got in their   
way.   
  
The Mekani could not be bargained with, that was   
certain.   
  
Focusing her attention back to the ceiling, Moon   
realized that Death Phantom vanished without a trace,   
just as he had come. She was unsure what he was trying   
to get her to do this time, as this was far less   
obvious than their previous encounter.   
  
"Death Phantom, what are you up to?" she asked aloud.   
  
---   
  
"It was propecized in the Moon Kingdom of old that   
the destruction of Chaos heralded the coming of the   
Children of Chaos... the five beings that were foretold   
to avenge their father on the light. The first of   
them was Pharaoh 90, birthed long after the defeat of   
Chaos, when his disciples were annihilated by the   
light. A being of pure dark energy Pharaoh 90 embodies   
the dark energy of the shattered Black Crystal, and in   
revenge would seek to transform his home, Tau Ceti,   
into a bastion of Chaos, then proceed to follow the   
light to this world, Earth."   
  
"The second of those foretold was Queen Neherenia,   
born in the light of the Moon Kingdom and in the   
darkness of the void. Two shades of an entity,   
Neherenia would sow chaos in the Moon Kingdom, creating   
conflict from within their 'safe' borders. It would   
only make way for the third."   
  
"That third was Queen Metallia, the manipulative   
nightmare born from the hearts of humankind that lived   
under the shadow of the Moon Kingdom. The resentment   
and fear of humans brought to life, Metallia succeeded   
in destroying the Moon Kingdom, and ushering the end   
of the Silver Millennium."   
  
"However, it was not the end, for the royal court   
survived and reincarnated into new lives. The court   
would continue to walk the path of the Moon Kingdom   
they left behind, until the fourth challenged their   
undisputed rule: Vizier, a viral mass born from Tau   
Ceti seeking the light. Threatening an apocalypse of   
the world the royal court called home this beast would   
ruin all to destroy a few."   
  
"But the last, known as Death Phantom, would emerge   
and complete the prophecy of Chaos. The Black Crystal   
of old returned, as had the agents of the Moon   
Kingdom's rivals, for one final battle, reinacted from   
the age so long ago, before the prophecy. It would be   
the last of the Children of Chaos that fulfilled the   
elusive prophecy... a prophecy to avenge the father...   
a prophecy whose meaning I alone understand."   
  
"It is my destiny," Wiseman declared to himself,   
his hand waving over the crystal ball in his lap.   
"The conflict of Order and Chaos draws to a close, and   
a new era of uncertainty awaits us all."   
  
---   
  
R&D Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
The atmosphere of the underground compound seemed   
spooky to Shizuka, as she kept both her hands on her   
shotgun despite the fact that no one should technically   
be around and about. The entirety of the technical   
staff and the administrators all exited the compound   
at various points, and while the Peacekeepers still had   
no idea how to get inside it was only a matter of time   
before they pinpointed an entrance, judging from the   
concentration spread of the prisoners when they   
emerged.   
  
The only ones left behind were, of course, Shion and   
Thanatos, and both were sitting in Shion's quarters.   
The boa constrictor, feeling useless as usual, gave   
the priestess a piece of his mind about how he was   
being treated lately, and he wouldn't shut up until   
Shizuka promised to come back for him and Shion later.   
She hardly wanted either of them still around when the   
Peacekeepers found their way inside, much less allow   
them to find the remaining weapons.   
  
She forced open the door to the control center   
manually, as Ayame saw it fit to turn on security   
measures before leaving. While that did little to bar   
Shizuka's own passcodes, it still wouldn't let her into   
the new control center anyway. She was glad that Kanna   
informed her the override, but would have preferred   
her personal codes instead; the door was very heavy,   
and Shizuka was barely strong enough to get it open   
even a crack.   
  
Many of the consoles were still lit and active, but   
Shizuka was only interested in one of them. She   
approached one of them, and found the control board for   
the crystal prisms intact. Unsheathing one of her   
swords, the priestess raised it high, and brought it   
smashing through the board.   
  
That part of her business concluded, Shizuka pushed   
the sliced debris away, and produced a remote control   
box. Pulling a chord out from the bottom she plugged   
it in to the outlet, and punched in a few commands on   
the keyboard. A series of text and numbers scrolled   
down the screen, eventually being replaced by a   
slowly-filling bar.   
  
Downloading the master control of the Night Hammer   
was only the beginning, Shizuka knew. She sheathed   
her sword and wiped her forehead, then turned to leave,   
knowing it would take some time for the controls to   
download and wipe themselves from the mainframe.   
  
In the meantime, there were other things she could   
do to pass the time-- primarily to use the teleport   
tube to transfer the weapons to the Night Hammer. All   
of the Fenril equipment would be moved in one grand   
gesture, courtesy of Sypha Blade.   
  
---   
  
Prison, Crystal Palace   
  
Akane helped Ranma down the stairs, having one arm   
around her neck as support while the martial artist   
hobbled down on one foot. One of the burning questions   
in Ranma's mind was his uncertainty to his fate, and   
despite the warnings from the doctors he wanted to get   
an answer straight from the horse's mouth.   
  
The Peacekeepers, despite being rather ineffective   
during the war, seemed far more intimidating when they   
were in charge. Two stood at each side of the bottom   
of the stairs, facing each other across the narrow   
hall in their crisp, clean, white uniforms, with stone   
faces. Akane kept her eyes fixated straightforward,   
trying to avoid the piercing gaze of the trained   
Peacekeepers.   
  
They walked without breathing a word, and Akane was   
certain Ranma recognized many of the faces in the   
cells. Most of them, Akane knew, were technicians   
working under Mishima Heavy Industries, left over from   
a bygone age, awaiting punishment. Some of them were   
members of resistance pockets that were scattered   
around the world here and there that surfaced after the   
Black Moon invasion. They, too, seemed eager to get   
their punishments dealt to them.   
  
Ranma motioned Akane to stop when they nearly passed   
the cell which Higure Furui, the old man and wind   
mage, occupied by himself. Higure looked very tired,   
and appeared much older than Akane remembered in the   
brief times she saw him, as if he were going to die at   
any moment.   
  
"Master Higure?" Akane said, wondering if the old   
man was dead already.   
  
Apparently, and fortunately, that was not the case,   
as Higure slowly opened his eyes, and craned his neck   
toward the bars. "Ah, I see you two still have your   
freedoms."   
  
"Hey old man," Ranma said, trying to sound more   
confident about the future, "we ain't licked yet."   
  
"Perhaps, but we here on Earth are finished," Higure   
replied solemnly.   
  
"So why hasn't Ukyo come back yet?" wondered Akane.   
  
"Because Ayame is playing a strict game of politics   
at the moment," explained the old man. "In fact, if   
you were to go through her declaration of surrender   
more closely, you would find several loopholes in it."   
  
"Yeah, because only the guys here on EARTH   
surrendered, huh?" guessed Ranma. "She said nothin'   
about Nemesis."   
  
"Precisely."   
  
"Is that where Kanna, Shizuka, and Mousse disappeared   
to?" asked Akane.   
  
Higure shrugged. "It was up to them to leave or   
stay, but I would venture they left."   
  
"Huh, just like them to get up and run," muttered   
Ranma.   
  
"Hey!" they heard, a shout from down the hall.   
  
Akane turned to see who was coming, and exclaimed,   
"Ryoga!"   
  
"You look well," noted Ranma.   
  
Ryoga laughed as he approached, picking up on   
Ranma's stray comment. "More than I can say for you!"   
  
"What're you doing here?" asked Akane.   
  
"I needed to come," Ryoga answered, dropping his   
light-hearted tone. "When I heard that Crystal Tokyo   
was taken hostage I tried to come back. I would've   
gotten here sooner, but I got lost...."   
  
Ranma shook his head. "Geez, they didn't even fix   
that in you?"   
  
"I see you and Akane are back together."   
  
"Yeah, but I didn't need no crystal to do it."   
  
"It doesn't matter which of us gets passed through   
the light of purity," Ryoga said, "because... even   
though I'm too late for the battle, I can at least   
stand with you guys at the trial."   
  
Both Akane and Ranma gasped. "You're kidding!" they   
cried.   
  
Ryoga nodded. "Even though I deserted you guys when   
you needed me... and even if I won't get tried for what   
happened... I'm going to stick by you guys."   
  
"Ryoga... for what it's worth," Ranma said,   
speechless, "thanks."   
  
"Our time for trial would have to wait," Higure   
pointed out. "We are in line after Ayame, after all."   
  
"Ayame?" Ryoga blinked, as if he didn't understand.   
  
"As leader of the Fenril Knights she is directly   
responsible for the uprising," explained Higure. "In   
the eyes of the world, the blame needs to fall on   
someone. Since the leaders of the Black Moon Family   
evaded justice by their deaths, the world was left   
without a scapegoat. This time, they have one."   
  
"That's unfair!" protested Ryoga.   
  
"It's your world," Ranma pointed out.   
  
"I'm sure they'll do the right thing," Akane said,   
wishing that she believed the words herself. Despite   
being pure of evil, people were still people, and   
sometimes thought irrationally. The world was wronged,   
and they felt, as a whole, the need to blame someone   
for it.   
  
She hoped Ayame knew what she was doing.   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
Ayame wished she had an idea what she was doing.   
  
Buried under the ground, locked away in a prison   
with only a grate used for illumination, the leader of   
the Fenril Knights could barely hear the sound of the   
growing mob outside the building, yelling and demanding   
justice to be served. They were not finished from   
their rampage over the Black Moon Family, not by a   
long shot.   
  
And somehow, it was this aspect of humanity that   
Ayame wished was disposed of by Neo Queen Serenity.   
  
She kept her head low even as she heard the prison   
door open, and someone enter. High heels echoed   
throughout the dank, ten-by-ten cell, with only the   
bars to separate her from Sailor Mars.   
  
"You look well," Mars said awkwardly, obviously   
unsure of herself.   
  
Ayame chuckled softly. "Well, well, it's you. I   
almost expected King Endymion, but perhaps he's too   
sour over what Kanna did to him?"   
  
"He's actually trying to intercede on your behalf,   
believe it or not," Mars informed her. "The world   
parliament is swayed heavily by the people you wanted   
to put the power back into, and they're already poised   
to throw the book at you without a proper trial. King   
Endymion is trying to reason with them, and not just   
because of loss of due process."   
  
Despite her mood, the leader smirked. "You figured   
it out, didn't you?"   
  
"I don't care who engineered it, but at this point,   
we need each other," the senshi said bluntly. "That   
was the only reason you fired the Dead End Buster on   
us, wasn't it? You needed a trump card because you   
knew you couldn't win."   
  
"I know these things," Ayame replied softly. "I also   
know that our fates lie in your queen's hands."   
  
"But why?" asked Mars. "You placed yourselves in our   
hands, and yet you've got the most powerful battleship   
known to man. That Night Hammer you have out there   
could wipe out the Mekani fleet by itself...."   
  
"No, it can't," interrupted Ayame. "We did the   
math, and if the Mekani are smart they won't bunch-up   
all their warriors in one place. The Night Hammer   
needs time between shots to recharge, and any time   
like that would give the remaining Mekani enough time   
to land on it and tear it apart. And the Night Hammer   
is one big chunk of natural resources, you know."   
  
"So you need someone to defend the Night Hammer   
between shots," Mars said in understanding. "Why us?"   
  
"We lost too many in our war, and we're just about   
out of hands and bodies. Unfortunately, as I said   
before, my fate is sealed right now, and even I don't   
have control over the Night Hammer at the moment."   
  
"And what about the others? Kanna, Mousse, and   
Shizuka fled, and were not detained."   
  
"You tell me what they're doing."   
  
"If I were them, I'd be working on a way to get the   
Night Hammer off Earth and into the Nemesis space."   
  
"I'd say that would be a good idea."   
  
"But you're not saying it's so."   
  
Ayame nodded, and Mars did the same. The leader of   
the Fenril Knights smiled, finally finding something to   
like in the Sailor Senshi. "And if they were doing   
that, they'd have to avoid the Peacekeepers at all   
costs, otherwise I'd be in real hot water."   
  
"I'll see what I can do for you," Mars promised,   
ready to turn away, but stopped. "One more thing,   
though...."   
  
"What?"   
  
"Why did you guys fire on us? For real, I mean. The   
Mekani could have been defeated easier if we had the   
Silver Crystal at full power."   
  
Again, Ayame laughed. "Other than the obvious ploy   
to get you to ask us for help... there IS one other,   
and it's far more important to us. By asking us to   
help you, and not turning to the Silver Crystal, we are   
proving to you and the rest of humanity that we do not   
need to rely on magical artifacts and whatnot, because   
we can still depend on our ingenuity. The Night Hammer   
is the ultimate expression of cooperation, Sailor Mars,   
and it's the finest creation made by human hands. I   
want Earth to remember us for this final gift we bestow   
upon them, because our potential still has yet to be   
tapped. Without boundaries, our power is limitless."   
  
Sailor Mars offered a smile, and Ayame knew that she,   
too, found something to respect in the 'enemy.' "In   
another time, we all could've been friends. In a   
place without the battle, we could have helped each   
other more."   
  
"We still can," Ayame assured her. "Never forget,   
however, that the battle was necessary, and the people   
who lost their lives in it will not be forgotten. In   
fact...."   
  
"What?"   
  
"You can still save one: Hokuto Takemasa is still   
trapped in the shadow stream."   
  
Mars nodded. "I'll see what I can do, but I'm not   
promising anything."   
  
"That's all I ask. Oh, and one more thing...."   
  
"What's that?"   
  
"Just because we surrendered to you, and are working   
toward cooperation, doesn't mean that all of us are   
going to be nice and friendly with you," Ayame warned.   
"In particular, you have to watch out for Sypha Blade,   
Shizuka, and Cinder. Their lives were far more   
affected by the world revolution than the rest of us,   
and their hearts are much less forgiving."   
  
"The hating needs to end," Mars knew.   
  
---   
  
R&D Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
Stepping back into the control center, Shizuka was   
pleased with herself now that the control box was   
finished downloading the primary controls. She quickly   
unplugged it from the socket, and typed in a few keys   
into the console keyboard to make sure the information   
was encrypted and wiped, now that the download was   
complete.   
  
Although she was by no means any proficient with   
computers Shizuka learned much from Shion; simply   
wiping data wasn't good enough because there were some   
tricks to recovering them. Even though the data could   
be recovered in its entirety given time, encrypting   
the data first helped guarantee that wouldn't happen at   
some critical juncture. Also, that left option the   
need to recover it as well, in case something happened   
to the original copy.   
  
On the other hand, recovering the wiped copy was   
something only Shion knew how to do.   
  
She caught a red button blinking out of the corner   
of her eye, and turned her head to see. Pressing it,   
the main viewscreen flickered to life, revealing what   
the remote Mishima watchers discovered while running   
their current security directives.   
  
"Well, well, well," Shizuka said to herself as she   
watched Sailor Mercury descend the stairs into the   
compound. "Looks like the game's become more   
interesting by the moment."   
  
Flipping the screen switch off, the priestess ran to   
another console and queued the rest of her transport   
list, then grabbed her shotgun from up her sleeve. She   
glanced back at the monitor to double-check to see that   
Shion and Thanatos were on the que. Finding the list   
to her satisfaction, Shizuka ran the program, then   
held her shotgun to her left hand, and drew one sword   
with her right.   
  
"The hunt's just beginning," she muttered.   
  
---   
  
Finding one of the hidden entrances to the Mishima   
compound was a simple matter once Sailor Mercury   
secured the information from Akane, as it required only   
a certain button sequence keyed into a public pay   
phone booth. A hidden elevator took her down through   
several layers of earth, past the sewers and into the   
stairwell, where she had to make the rest of the trek   
on foot.   
  
She descended more floors than she cared to count   
before reaching the common level, where the command   
center, living quarters, and service area were located,   
and the place where she could most likely get her   
information. At the stairwell's door there was one of   
the standard keypad locks, and Mercury typed in her   
override code she installed when she last tampered with   
the Mishima mainframe. Surprisingly enough, the door's   
lock clicked, allowing Mercury to enter.   
  
The lights were kept at a dim, low-power consumption   
level, a stark contrast to the brightness she   
remembered. The white halls were thrown in a dark   
shade of gray, and nothing in the area gave impression   
of any sign of life.   
  
If she remembered correctly, the control center was   
straight ahead. Mercury picked up her pace, running   
through the empty halls, her footsteps echoing off into   
nothingness, coming to a stop at the T-intersection   
from one of the side halls.   
  
Strangely enough, the door was left ajar. Mercury   
poked her head inside, staring down into the command   
bowl, and saw that all functions were shut down.   
  
"Mizuno!!" she heard, the voice carried from down   
the hall opposite the door. It was quickly fired by   
the unmistakable sound of gunfire.   
  
Instinctively, Mercury ducked, hearing the heavy   
bullet zip over her head, through the door, and   
richochet off one of the walls and crack the main   
viewscreen. Instantly she knew it was Shizuka, and,   
not wasting time to get shot at again, Mercury got up   
and bolted back the way she came.   
  
She tried to imagine the common level in her head,   
and formulated the key points from which Shizuka could   
intercept her down one of the halls. Crossing the   
first intersection Mercury was surprised to see that   
Shizuka had already caught up to her, and the priestess   
fired another shot.   
  
Ducking behind the wall Mercury quickly glanced   
around, and ducked into the nearest door. She looked   
around quickly, finding that it was the kitchen   
section, one of the ill-used areas of the compound,   
since very few of the Fenril knew how to use the   
equipment well. Steel pans and utensils hung from   
ceiling racks, unused, over an empty grill. Set aside   
on a large table was one deep soup pot and several   
large barrels to satisfy the sweet tooth of the   
technicians, as in chocolate syrup.   
  
She quickly ran toward the other end of the room,   
but Shizuka chose that moment to enter. The priestess   
raised her shotgun up in her left hand, and squeezed   
off another shot. Mercury ducked her head down behind   
the barrels, and the bullet exploded through two of   
them easily, spilling the contents out. Utilizing the   
reloading time to her advantage Mercury tried to run   
again, but her foot slipped in the spilling syrup, and   
she crashed onto her back.   
  
Mercury heard the telltale snap from the shotgun, and   
knew Shizuka was finished reloading. She glanced   
under the table, and saw an open sack of rice standing   
there. Quickly rolling over she grabbed the sack, and   
threw it over her head the moment Shizuka came into   
view.   
  
"Hey!" she heard Shizuka cry, followed by the   
clatter of her shotgun falling.   
  
Mercury quickly got up to her feet, spinning around   
to throw a Shabon Spray. Mist unfurled from her hands,   
and she heard Shizuka take several wild swings in the   
air with her sword. Discretely avoiding the wild   
swings Mercury slipped past the angry priestess and   
made her escape.   
  
---   
  
"Blast it," Shizuka cursed, "I can't see a thing."   
  
"Don't play her game," warned Deathclaw, speaking   
through his host's mouth. "Use a talisman."   
  
"What good'll that do?! I haven't been able to use   
those since I landed in this crappy city, and for good   
reason if the gods are destroyed."   
  
"Fool, you have me. The power of the talisman is   
not borrowed from a god; it is a gift of devotion and   
trust between a god and his followers. Genbu may be   
destroyed, but I am much closer than he ever was."   
  
Snorting, Shizuka sheathed her sword again, and   
fumbled through her sleeves for a blank talisman. She   
quickly wrote out an incantation, and held it out in   
the air. The paper talisman glowing, the mist was   
quickly sucked into it until it was all gone, and the   
talisman burned into ash in Shizuka's hand.   
  
"Wow... that's... cool!" she exclaimed, surprised.   
The priestess reminded herself to experiment more with   
this newfound discovery.   
  
Shizuka looked around the empty kitchen, realizing   
that Mercury managed to escape. She kicked away the   
spilt sack of rice, and reached down to collect her   
shotgun, annoyed that the chocolate syrup was spilling   
all over the floor, not that she was in the mood for a   
shake in the first place.   
  
She froze in place, an idea hitting her. Scooping   
up her weapon, Shizuka walked around the mess to the   
other side of the table, and her suspicion was   
confirmed.   
  
"Getting sloppy now, aren't we, Mizuno?" Shizuka   
said to herself, following the syrup footprints left by   
the Sailor Senshi.   
  
---   
  
Sky Deck, Night Hammer   
  
Cinder's metallic toes scraped against the dark   
surface of the flat deck of the Night Hammer, but did   
little to scratch the energy collectors themselves.   
Every square centimeter of the sky deck was lined with   
the collectors, all running together down to a special   
power plant below decks, and channeling it back up to   
the Dead End Buster, the single, huge turret that   
marked the only outstanding feature on top of the   
airship.   
  
He paused to stare up at the turreted cannon,   
scratching his steel chin out of sheer habit, even   
though it never itched. The only reason he felt the   
need to scratch it was due to his inborn psychokinetic   
abilities. It was those same abilities that made   
Cinder a prime candidate for his devious operation in   
the first place.   
  
As a salamander warrior and a loyal retainer to his   
liege, Cinder voluntarily traveled to the Earth side of   
the planes in order to become stronger and to better   
serve his lord. However, disaster struck, and one   
event lead to another, turning the kami into a test   
subject to malicious human scientists. They replaced   
all the broken limbs of his body with metal   
prosthetics, including his left eye, and attempted to   
assert control over the fire master. It was they who   
named him 'Cinder,' a name used among the humans   
alone, as none were worthy of his true name.   
  
Cinder eventually defied his masters and escaped, but   
the events left him stranded on Earth, effectively   
living with the humans in exile. It was during this   
exile he met fellow exile Sypha Blade, who was deep in   
concocting a mad scheme to find a way home. It was   
during this exile he met and trained Miranda Kusao, a   
girl with much potential and zeal. It was during this   
exile he met the others.   
  
The salamander kami hardly thought of his human   
acquaintances as friends or close allies, but they did   
have their uses. The girl, Miranda, however, in   
particular reminded Cinder of himself toward his liege,   
in that of a warrior retainer. For a time it amused   
Cinder that a human would go to great lengths to   
please him, whether it was slicing rocks with her bare   
hands or polishing Cinder's magnificent obsidian   
scales. She alone earned privileges for her service,   
and it was her treasured honor to know of his secret   
among the humans. And yet, the others still found out   
by themselves in due time.   
  
Among his human acquaintances, Cinder found he missed   
Miranda dearly. Even though it was a guilty pleasure   
for a retainer to have one of his own, the company   
could not be beat, especially considering the only   
other people Cinder would talk to would be other exiled   
kami like Sypha.   
  
Ah, the other exiles... it was likely they were still   
in hiding from their human oppressors. Cinder envied   
them, as they lived on this world long enough to know   
the tricks of disguising their true nature very   
convincingly. Considering them Cinder was a newcomer   
at this game, and as such his disguise merely consisted   
of a heavy traveling robe. People such as Sypha got   
around their appearances with shape-shifting magic.   
  
Cinder tore his thoughts away, and focused back on   
the task at hand. He allowed his mechanical eye to   
scan the surface of the sky deck, noting that the black   
crystal chunks he installed at the edges of all three   
triangle points of the deck were in position and ready   
for the next step. Sypha would not begin until after   
Shizuka fulfilled her part-- that of moving the   
equipment from the Mishima compound to the Night   
Hammer. After that it was all up to the black   
sorcerer.   
  
Summoning magic usually operated across different   
planes, but doing so within a plane was very   
uncommon, especially for something as large as the   
Night Hammer.   
  
---   
  
Palace of Solitude, Nemesis   
  
Sypha Blade watched with her reptilian eyes as Mousse   
entered the chamber. The Chinese martial artist's   
composure remained tall and proud despite his new   
handicap-- the bandaged hands at his sides. Without   
proper intervention it was possible he may never be   
able to use them again, and Sypha did not have such   
healing magic available to her, being a black sorcerer.   
  
"What do you want?" he asked impatiently.   
  
"Down in the storage shed you'll find several barrels   
of black powder," the sorcerer explained. "Gather what   
maintenance droids are available and disperse it all   
in a pattern around the city as given in this scroll."   
  
She produced a roll of paper in her metal claw, and   
tossed it on the table. Mousse stared at it for a   
moment, then gently unrolled it with his hands slowly.   
If the weapons master was in any pain Sypha could not   
see it.   
  
A sign of strength, the Chinese sorcerer thought,   
nodding to herself.   
  
Mousse's eye level raised back up. "This looks like   
a summoning circle."   
  
"Very good," Sypha replied. "On a city-wide scale,   
no less. It shouldn't take too long, really."   
  
"So you're going to draw more power from the people?"   
he asked, sounding jaded.   
  
She shook her head. "They won't provide enough   
power for what I'm doing. I'm going to utilize the   
five black spires surrounding the city, the black   
crystals, and the planet's energy itself. So yes, it's   
one giant summoning circle, with us at the center."   
  
"You SURE the Mekani will be coming this way?" Mousse   
asked, doubtful.   
  
"Take a star chart, and draw a path from Earth to   
Tau Ceti; that's where the Mekani are based," Sypha   
suggested. "Nemesis does not lie within that direct   
path, but it's certainly close to it."   
  
"What's so great about Tau Ceti, anyway?"   
  
"The beginning, and the end."   
  
Both Mousse and Sypha turned their eyes in surprise   
toward Wiseman, who appeared suddenly to the side of   
the table, levitating in his usual position.   
  
"Wiseman!" Sypha gasped.   
  
"The pawns are not moving fast enough," the hooded   
old man complained. "It is time to induce proper   
incentive." He waved his hand over the crystal ball in   
his lap, and Sypha saw the image of the Crystal Palace   
within.   
  
"I've got a better idea," offered Sypha. "If the   
Sailor Senshi are following the timetable we set as   
scheduled, then all we need to do is manipulate one   
variable, rather than several." She produced her own   
crystal ball from up her sleeve, balancing it with her   
claws. The silhouette of a man appeared within. "I   
suggest our mutual friend, Vizier...."   
  
---   
  
Ukyo tried to relax, sitting back against the wall   
in the indoor bath.   
  
The bath room was one of the few places in the   
Palace of Solitude the okonomiyaki chef truly enjoyed,   
as the surroundings was mostly dark, black, and   
dreary. The bath, in contrast, was brighter-- at   
least, better-illuminated than the rest of the palace.   
It was said that the water was pumped straight from   
Lake Diamond outside Darkhold, and that the minerals   
in it were good for healthy skin.   
  
In any case, it felt great.   
  
"Ditto," agreed Kanna, who was lounging herself a   
couple meters to Ukyo's left, and the chef realized   
she spoke aloud. "This is the best spring water I've   
ever felt."   
  
"It's bath water," Ukyo pointed out to Kanna the Hot   
Spring Junkie. "And this is a bath."   
  
"But it's still natural from the lake!" argued Kanna.   
"It's only unnatural in that it's artificially heated   
by the bath."   
  
Ukyo shrugged. "Fine, whatever. I don't care."   
  
She heard Kanna move a little closer. "Since when   
did you become the uber-pessimist, huh?"   
  
"I'm tired," the chef complained, "and I was planning   
on relaxing before the next battle. Instead, I have   
to share a bath with you."   
  
"What's so wrong about that?"   
  
Ukyo eyed the Crystal Spider lazily out of the corner   
of her eye. "You overanalyze."   
  
"No I don't."   
  
"You just did it a little while ago with the bath   
water."   
  
"Oh."   
  
Ukyo sighed, glad that Kanna finally decided to shut   
up. She sunk lower into the water, allowing it to run   
all the way up to her chin. She concentrated on   
nothing, trying to relax naturally.   
  
Yet, something was bothering her.   
  
"Kanna."   
  
"What?"   
  
"Why haven't we surrendered along with the others?   
At least that way we wouldn't have to fight."   
  
"We have to fight now, because we blew up their   
palace," the Crystal Spider pointed out. "Which, of   
course, was a calculated risk."   
  
"You guys shouldn't have done that," Ukyo replied,   
too weary to be annoyed. "If we just let them keep   
their ace in the hole we wouldn't have to do all the   
things we're doing now."   
  
"And if we didn't, what do you think'd happen to us   
all, then?" asked Kanna, a serious edge in her tone.   
  
Ukyo sat up again, and faced the other girl directly   
for the first time. "I have no idea," she admitted.   
  
"See, I don't like things like that, without a   
certain, probable outcome," Kanna replied. "At least   
this way we have a pretty good idea what's going to   
happen-- whichever way it goes."   
  
"Provided we can beat the Mekani," the okonomiyaki   
chef added. "I'd think they'd be a bit more advanced   
this time around than before; after all, the guys we   
trashed last time didn't have room to advance their   
technology in their dimensional prison."   
  
"I'm aware of that. Just hope we can beat them."   
  
"'Hope' was the last thing left in the box," Ukyo   
knew. Somehow, it seemed that it wouldn't be enough.   
  
"Okay, Pandora, whatever," Kanna said, shrugging.   
  
---   
  
R&D Hangar, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"Would... you... like to swing on a star," Shizuka   
hummed low to herself, taking careful, deliberate   
steps with her shotgun forward. "Or carry moonbeams   
home in a jar...."   
  
The expanse of the hangar bay made itself more   
apparent by the moment as the teleport tube   
dematerialized heavy armors left and right, all of   
which was headed for the equivalent on board the Night   
Hammer. Shizuka caught a movement of shadow in the   
corner of her left eye, and quickly swung around and   
squeezed off a shot. The bullet ricocheted off one of   
the walls and disappeared, but now Sailor Mercury was   
driven out of hiding, as she ran for another hiding   
space.   
  
"Or would you rather be a fish?" the priestess   
finished, reloading her firearm quickly. "They do say   
the most dangerous game is man."   
  
"There's no reason to be fighting anymore!" she   
heard her quarry shout, her voice echoing loudly.   
"The Mekani are set to attack at any day now."   
  
"So now you're here, trespassing where you're not   
welcome," Shizuka shouted back, closing the chamber of   
her shotgun, as more columns of light dematerialized   
the surrounding weaponry. "You're not stupid, but why   
are you defying us even now? The only reason would be   
if you wanted to stop us from reclaiming the Night   
Hammer!"   
  
"No, listen to me!" Mercury pleaded. "That's not it   
at all! We just want to help."   
  
"Help? Help! From you?!" Shizuka contained her   
amusement, raising her shotgun again, scanning for an   
irregular shadow off the walls. "Have I got a bridge   
to sell you!!"   
  
"If we destroy each other now, the Mekani might win,"   
pressed Mercury, appealing to reason. "Then none of us   
will be safe."   
  
"We don't need YOUR help; you need OUR help!" Shizuka   
corrected. "Between me, Master Cinder, and Sypha, plus   
the Night Hammer, we can't lose!" The hunter withdrew   
three steel cards from up her sleeve with her free   
hand, noticing a movement of shadow. "Besides, the   
only people I forgive for things you did are my   
friends, and you're not one of 'em."   
  
She threw the cards in the sailor soldier's direction   
and heard them embed into the walls, one after   
another. This time she forced Mercury out into the   
open, and with such a pressed movement her palms were   
already glowing in pale blue energy.   
  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" she cried, unleashing a   
torrent of water.   
  
Shizuka stood her ground, holding out her free hand   
in a stop sign. Just mere millimeters before the   
aqua strike hit an ethereal force burst from the   
priestess's palm, forming an instant, perfectly-   
circular, flat shield. Mercury's water attack washed   
over and around the shield, barely missing Shizuka on   
all sides.   
  
Mercury gasped, surprised at her sudden display of   
power. "How?!"   
  
Shizuka's eyes flashed momentarily as she gave a   
feral grin. "Come now, Mizuno," Shizuka/Deathclaw   
said, the ghost dragon asserting himself, "did you   
think it would take long at all before I could master   
my reacquired ability?"   
  
"'Reacquire?'"   
  
The priestess shouldered her shotgun, and plucked a   
bead hanging from her left sleeve. She held it up for   
Sailor Mercury to see, holding the red bead between her   
index and middle fingers. "The power of a priestess   
is derived from her special bond with her god... but   
now, I AM a god!!"   
  
"Fools think our ability is limited only to   
exorcisms," the dual entity continued. "Spoiled by   
their flimsy anime they think the sole role we serve is   
to banish evil spirits. It's only natural that they   
are wrong, and it's only natural that I can use this to   
my advantage! It's only natural that I possess that   
which they cannot defeat!"   
  
She raised the bead high, then quickly slammed it   
onto the ground, cracking its surface. A beam of light   
issued from the crack, splitting the bead in two with   
its intense power. "Take her down... Summon Beast   
Hydra!!"   
  
The light burst like a miniature nova, and the beams   
of light gathered into distinct shapes. Three snake-   
like heads formed, each joined on one body. The light   
died completely, leaving the three-headed snake, easily   
as large as Shizuka, to glow with the same ethereal   
haze as Deathclaw. Unlike the ghost dragon the hydra   
was by no means skeletal, but it was monochromatic   
nonetheless, as if the monster itself were a ghost.   
  
The hydra's snake heads snapped and hissed at   
Mercury, gazing at her with hungry eyes.   
  
"A ghost summon beast...?" Mercury muttered.   
  
"The memory of what once was will endure forever in   
the minds of those who remember," Shizuka/Deathclaw   
explained. She directed a finger toward Mercury. "Go,   
Trikhanra!"   
  
Each of the three snake heads reared their heads   
back, then launched simultaneous volleys of spittle.   
Mercury ducked, allowing all three volleys to soar over   
her head. Behind her, the spittle collided with the   
back wall, each bursting with elemental power.   
  
The left head, Shizuka knew, spat tiny bolts of   
fire, which burst upon impact. The middle head spat   
a highly-corrosive acid, and it was now tearing a hole   
in the metal wall across the hangar. The right head   
shot high-velocity pockets of solid air, visible in the   
human sight, but no less deadly than the other two   
projectiles.   
  
"Too bad; I've got a weapon for every occasion!"   
gloated Shizuka/Deathclaw.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Sailor Moon nodded thoughtfully as Sailor Mars   
finished reporting the details of her encounter with   
Ayame in Geneva. She focused her eyes back onto the   
viewscreen, where Mars stood waiting for her next   
order.   
  
"What do you think?" she asked finally.   
  
Mars shook her head. "I don't know. Ayame openly   
admitted to everything we suspected, and then some.   
And she's in prison, and probably going to get tar-and-   
feathered... and she's still making demands."   
  
Ayame wanted Hokuto released, Moon knew. On the one   
hand doing so would also release Sailor Jupiter from   
the same prison, but on the other hand there was no   
telling what the Shadow Weaver would do upon being   
released. In effect this was what Sailor Moon desired,   
but everyone knew the variable was Hokuto; even Ayame   
hinted as much in her careful words.   
  
Yes, the leader of the Fenril Knights spoke very   
carefully indeed. Her formal surrender speech, for   
instance, indicated that her forces and allies would   
surrender-- on Earth. That said absolutely nothing   
about who was on Nemesis at the time of the surrender,   
as Sailor Moon came to understand, and it was likely   
designed to fool the world parliament rather than her.   
  
It was the crafty plan, if dangerous.   
  
"I'll see about releasing Hokuto," Sailor Moon   
decided. "It'll have to wait, because we need to   
eliminate the Chaos plague cells in our guests."   
  
"Before the virus spreads again?" wondered Mars. She   
shook her head. "But that would've happened a long   
time ago...."   
  
"It's not for that, but because Vizier may be able to   
control them," Moon revealed. "The beast who sourced   
the original plague on Earth long ago survives as the   
virus, and it has been waiting for a strong host body   
which to take over. Unfortunately, he's found one."   
  
"That guy...."   
  
"We need to find him, too, before it's too late.   
Mars, please return as soon as possible; the battle may   
begin at any moment."   
  
---   
  
Palace of Solitude, Nemesis   
  
Ukyo's eyes stared at the targeting grid, leaning   
forward in her chair and propping her chin up with her   
left arm. She tapped the table with the fingers of her   
right hand, thinking over the possibilities in her   
head.   
  
"B-7," she announced.   
  
Across the table, Kanna stared up at Ukyo, annoyed.   
"You sunk my battleship...."   
  
"If you two are through," Sypha interrupted, barging   
into the chamber, "I have important business to take   
care of."   
  
Ukyo looked up from her game board. "What's that   
supposed to mean?"   
  
The black sorcerer produced her crystal ball, and   
the image of the Night Hammer appeared within. "All I   
want is to attract the attention of Pantyhose Taro to   
the airship. So I need one of you to come up with a   
decent semaphore flag."   
  
"Not a literal flag, right?" Kanna hoped. "I flunked   
sewing."   
  
"Why do we want HIM on the Night Hammer?" wondered   
the okonomiyaki chef. "He'd just trash it or   
something, the way the scoreboard's playing out."   
  
"The Sailor Senshi know they need the Night Hammer as   
much as we do," Sypha pointed out. "In fact it's just   
to get them on the ship faster, as well as get rid of   
a potential threat. We're speeding things up, so we   
need Pantyhose Taro on the airship. I know one of you   
knows him better than I do... so what does he want?"   
  
"Power?" guessed Kanna.   
  
"A better name?" Ukyo volunteered. "But he can't get   
even that, because Happosai is dead."   
  
"Does he know that for sure?" asked Sypha slyly, her   
mind working a devious plan. "Does he, really?"   
  
"Oh god, I'm not dressing-up as the old geezer," Ukyo   
said, groaning. "He'll never buy it, anyway."   
  
"I'm not interested in appearances," the sorcerer   
snapped. "If there is even a slim chance that he could   
get what he wanted most, then he won't be able to   
resist taking it, won't he?"   
  
"So what do you have in mind?" asked the Crystal   
Spider.   
  
---   
  
R&D, Mishima Heavy Industries   
  
"You know, Mizuno," Shizuka decided, stifling a   
yawn, "you're boring when I go all-out."   
  
Sailor Mercury ducked behind the deactivated robot,   
pressing her back against its back as the ghost hydra   
pummeled its forward armor with acid, flame, and ice.   
She knew for a fact that Shizuka was holding back, and   
probably for good reason.   
  
Somehow, Mercury knew it was more for the sheer sport   
of it, rather than any desire to preserve her life.   
  
"Let's see," the priestess ranted, holding out her   
hand and counting down fingers, "I could wait here and   
waste you." She lowered a finger. "Or I could leave   
and assume you died." Shizuka lowered another finger.   
"Maybe a little of both, and I'll wait five minutes   
before I go, or maybe I should just kill you myself."   
She shook her head as she came down to her thumb.   
"Naaaah...."   
  
Another column of light appeared, and focused itself   
on an armor next to Mercury's position. The armor   
vanished into nothingness in the light, sucked up by   
the so-called teleport tube. If she wasn't mistaken   
her armor shield would be next.   
  
She steadied herself in readiness to turn and blast   
the ghost hydra the moment the robot vanished, but   
Mercury realized that nothing was hitting it anymore.   
Risking a glance Mercury looked around the armor's   
tough body, and saw that Shizuka withdrew the monster.   
  
"By the way," Shizuka said, her voice much closer   
than before. Mercury glanced upward, and saw that the   
priestess was sitting on top of the ruined robot's   
shoulders. "Why don't you run along and tell your   
queen that I sent you?"   
  
She held up a remote control, flipping open a clear   
plastic case that housed a large, thumb-sized, red   
button. Sailor Mercury had a very good idea what that   
meant.   
  
As the teleportation tube surrounded the armor and   
Shizuka, she told her, "Boom."   
  
Deciding to take her chances, Mercury grappled onto   
the robot's arm. She felt every molecule of her body   
dissipate from her person, and soon felt nothing at   
all as the light consumed her.   
  
She found she had shut her eyes, and forcefully pried   
them back open. The hangar area of the R&D block was   
gone, replaced by a darker hangar area of similar   
make. Had the area been damaged like the R&D was   
Mercury would've thought she was still in the   
underground compound.   
  
Looking upward, Shizuka was nowhere to be seen. The   
remote control she was holding earlier lay balanced on   
the shoulder's surface, antenna extended with a small   
white flag that read, "Fooled you."   
  
Deciding there was no time to figure out where the   
Fenril went, Mercury headed toward the exit, to see for   
herself if she was really on the Night Hammer.   
  
---   
  
Sky Deck, Night Hammer   
  
Wind whipped against Cinder's cape as he watched   
Sypha's 'semaphore flag' in progress. He had little   
inclination to acknowledge Shizuka as she joined him   
on the deck, and barely registered from the edge of his   
mechanical eye that she, too, was looking up into the   
sky.   
  
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen," she   
declared, looking up at the hastily-erected hot-air   
blimp.   
  
"Yes," the fire master agreed, watching the monitor   
on the blimp's side continually spin a message that   
'Pantyhose Taro is a weak loser.' "If he doesn't mind   
being called 'weak' his name will certainly get his   
attention."   
  
A thin black beam coming from somewhere in the   
crystal jungle below lanced out at the blimp, and   
Cinder was forced to shield his real eye when the   
blimp fireballed. His mechanical eye filtered out much   
of the noise, but Cinder didn't need to know even that   
much to know that Taro got the message.   
  
He noted that Shizuka was turning her attentions   
to another part of the sky, and sure enough from the   
top of one of the buildings a huge, boomerang-shaped   
wing was launched, with one man hanging off from the   
bottom. Pantyhose Taro's wing sliced quickly through   
the air, and the moment his shadow was cast over the   
sky deck the martial artist released his grip.   
  
He quickly collected himself, and the heart crystals   
he captured remained in perfect orbit around his body   
at all times.   
  
"You fools," Taro hissed, his voice carried downwind   
from the head of the sky deck. "How DARE you cast my   
name like that?"   
  
"You called it," Shizuka said, glancing at Cinder.   
  
Cinder said nothing, as his attention was on   
analyzing Pantyhose Taro. The man's right hand, which   
used to be where his Deathbuster star was located, was   
now hidden by a large, heavy black glove, one that   
reached all the way up the length of his arm and ending   
at the shoulder. It was an elaborate article, but the   
robed salamander understood the feeling completely; it   
was a distraction to think about the scars hidden   
beneath the concealment, and perhaps also a source of   
shame. Cinder bore that sentiment every day, and out   
of courtesy refrained from analyzing beneath the   
glove.   
  
"So now I see we are both crippled," Cinder told the   
martial artist. "The question is, is the extent   
merely physical, or is there deep, mental scars as   
well?"   
  
"I'm nothing like you, cripple," Taro shouted. "I am   
a god."   
  
The salamander laughed. "Fool, I can lay claim to   
that title as well. I am YOUR god, the spirit your   
people created out of their nightmares. You are   
nothing more than one of those people, deluded to think   
they could walk the graces of the kami."   
  
"Then let me show you...!"   
  
Shizuka gasped. "Master Cinder... he's not what he   
seems!"   
  
"What?" he asked, hardly surprised.   
  
"I just felt it now," she pressed, elaborating on her   
premonition. "There's another sharing his soul... just   
as I."   
  
"Vizier, no doubt," Cinder snorted. "I've heard as   
much, but so far I'm not impressed." He raised his   
right claw back, and his left claw forward, igniting   
both palms in flames. The fire master barely felt the   
increasing temperature of his steel arms, and mentally   
focused on increasing their intrinsic melting point,   
knowing the fight would be long.   
  
Yes, his 'creators' were wise to ensnare a   
psychokinetic warrior.   
  
---   
  
Infirmary, Crystal Palace   
  
"There, that should do it," Sailor Moon said, wiping   
her forehead as she finished removing the Chaos cells   
from the last of the Fenril Knights.   
  
Ranma sat up in the bed, flexing his fingers. As the   
volunteer to be the last to be cleansed he seemed in   
good spirits. "You didn't just purge me, you healed   
me...?"   
  
"It was the least I could do," Moon replied. "It   
was brave of you to throw away the dark power to save   
us all."   
  
"Eh," he scoffed, "don't think nothing about it.   
It's what you would've done, I guess."   
  
"What'll you do now?" asked Akane, looking toward   
Sailor Moon.   
  
She held up her wand. "I've thought this over, and   
at the request of your leader, Ayame, I'm going to let   
Hokuto back into this world."   
  
Ranma immediately jumped up and held the wand fast.   
"No, wait! You don't have any idea how bad that is!"   
  
"You're just like Sailor Mars," Moon noted. "Maybe   
it is a bad judgement on my part, but knowing you   
Fenril Knights it wouldn't be the first time." The   
comment left a bitter atmosphere in the air. "But, no   
matter how bad it might be, I have to trust her. I   
want to trust you, as I do all of you. The hate must   
end if we wish to see true peace."   
  
"Eh, that's not it, though..." muttered Ranma, but   
he allowed it to trail-off, unwilling to speak of the   
issue further. He released his hold on the wand, and   
glanced at Akane nervously.   
  
Stepping away from the bed, Sailor Moon held her   
wand up high, and closed her eyes to concentrate. She   
focused her will through her hands and into the wand,   
and turned it in a counter-clockwise motion, preparing   
to trace a portal to the shadow plane.   
  
Suddenly, she felt the weight of light upon her, and   
lost concentration on the portal. She looked out   
toward Ranma and Akane, but they were on the other side   
of a column of light.   
  
No, it was because she was in the center of it.   
  
Sailor Moon had no time to react as the light flared   
into a blinding light, then disappeared completely,   
replaced by complete darkness. She collapsed to the   
ground, rubbing her eyes to adjust to her new   
surroundings. She planted her palms onto the floor,   
and felt the cool metal beneath her feet.   
  
There was another flash of light, followed by several   
more, each with decreasing intensity.   
  
"I'm sorry about that," she heard, "but there isn't   
much time left."   
  
She recognized Sailor Mercury's voice instantly.   
"Sailor Mercury?"   
  
"We're on board the Night Hammer, the Fenril   
airship," she explained. "The transport device was the   
fastest way to get you all here."   
  
"It could've been worse," Moon heard another say,   
and knew it belonged to Ranma.   
  
Her eyes having adjusted to the dim lighting, Sailor   
Moon looked around, and saw that the remaining Sailor   
Senshi were present, along with Ranma and his friend,   
Ryoga Hibiki, who seemed quite disoriented.   
  
They heard a loud rumble from above. "What's going   
on?!" cried Sailor Mars.   
  
"Pantyhose Taro is attacking the ship," Mercury   
informed them. "Two others are already battling him,   
but we can't let him damage the Dead End Buster."   
  
---   
  
"Ranma!" Akane cried, suddenly alone in the infirmary   
after two columns of light abducted him and Sailor   
Moon.   
  
Her eyes adjusted back to the room's normal light,   
and she glanced to where Sailor Moon stood earlier.   
She was tracing a circle in the air, that much Akane   
knew, but what she didn't understand was why the   
partial circle was still there, glowing.   
  
There was no time to think of it, and Akane rushed   
out of the room, intent on finding out what was going   
on.   
  
Unseen by eyes, a thin, dark ooze dripped out of the   
incomplete circle.   
  
---   
  
Palace of Solitude, Nemesis   
  
"Excellent," Sypha said, watching Cinder battle Taro   
by himself on the windy sky deck. "All the pawns are   
in place."   
  
She heard the double doors open behind her. "I got   
your circle traced," Mousse reported, sounding a bit   
weary. His eyes fixated on the viewscreen ahead.   
"Hey, they're there...."   
  
The black sorcerer turned away, facing the weapons   
master. "I'm going to begin the summoning ceremony. I   
want no interruptions. Incidentally, keep me informed   
of what's going on; I don't care if Pantyhose Taro   
stays on the sky deck or not, but I'd rather he be   
dead."   
  
"You got my vote," agreed Mousse.   
  
---   
  
"Left hand, green," declared a maintenance droid.   
  
Kanna and Ukyo lowered their hands down to reach   
the green circle on the Twister mat, but this time they   
ended up bumping into each other and collapsing.   
  
"God dammit, we must be really bored," Ukyo decided,   
sitting up and glancing at the droid. "There's got to   
be a better way to kill time than this."   
  
"I suppose you don't want an answer to that," the   
droid replied.   
  
"Hell no," Kanna called. She propped her chin on   
her hand. "When the hell is the Night Hammer coming,   
anyway?"   
  
---   
  
Sky Deck, Night Hammer   
  
"Your age is showing, old man!" Taro taunted, dodging   
fiery punches from the robed salamander. "The time of   
the old gods has passed!"   
  
"And it is here where your arrogance will fail you!"   
Cinder shot back, his mechanical eye displaying the   
careful calculations he was making while distracting   
his enemy with distracting blows.   
  
Pantyhose Taro merely believed he was too good for   
the retainer, but Cinder wasn't interested in landing a   
blow. He reared his right claw back again for another   
punch, and predictably, Taro dodged it. However, the   
whelp was likely now aware of what the fire master was   
up to all along, as Cinder's steel talons grabbed hold   
of one of the orbiting heart crystals. Black   
electrical energy arced in its orbit, all the way back   
to Taro's heart.   
  
"What the...?!" Taro gasped in surprise.   
  
"So arrogant of you to maintain your source of power   
so freely!" Cinder said, taking the reversal in   
stride. He closed his claw even further, and splinters   
broke off the surface of the glowing red crystal. "You   
are no god...!"   
  
"Master!" he heard Shizuka cry in warning.   
  
The salamander felt a sharp pain in his arm clutching   
the heart crystal, and realized that he was being   
attacked by another. He quickly shot a glance to   
the left, and his mechanical eye focused on one Sailor   
Moon, holding out her wand.   
  
"Hold it!" she cried. "That heart crystal you're   
intending to destroy belongs to a human being!"   
  
"You fool, the dead have no use for this wretched   
shell of a soul!" Cinder roared. Planting his right   
foot on Taro, he pushed backward and yanked the heart   
crystal from his orbit, and sent the martial artist   
sprawling across the deck.   
  
He held up the heart crystal for the other to see.   
  
"No, wait!" Sailor Moon cried. "I can restore them!   
You can't...!"   
  
"You have no understanding at all of the concept of   
life and death, do you?!" the salamander raged, anger   
flaring his flames. The wind continued to whip against   
his cloak, and the flames of his hands fanned along   
with them. "When the spark of life is torn from the   
flesh, the soul is granted its final reward. How do   
you suggest that I punish my disciple in such a   
manner as this?"   
  
"Mira's heart crystal," Shizuka realized. "You can   
tell...?"   
  
"You are no human," Cinder continued. "No human   
would dare deprive the departed of final peace!"   
  
"No, stop!!!" Sailor Moon screamed, almost pleaded.   
  
"Master, look out!" the priestess warned.   
  
The fire master had not been oblivious to the   
recovering Pantyhose Taro, and silently thanked the   
girl for her initiative as she headed off the attack   
intended for him. The two locked their arms onto   
each other, each appearing just as strong as the other   
in the struggle, but Cinder knew Shizuka was far too   
weak to handle her opponent.   
  
He glanced back toward the opposing posse, and saw   
that Ranma was dressing-down Sailor Moon with some   
words, his hand on her shoulder as he spoke. Her   
extended arm wavered in place, but Cinder knew the boy   
would hold no sway over her.   
  
Mustering all the force behind him, Cinder crushed   
the heart crystal in his claw, shattering it into a   
million pieces. He thought he saw the traces of a   
ghostly visage wisp into nothingness, but thought   
better of it.   
  
"Miranda Kusao, your soul is finally at peace," he   
eulogized. "Join those who lay their lives for their   
masters in honor."   
  
Without turning, Cinder ordered, "Keep him busy,   
girl. The others are mine."   
  
"Hah, easy for you to say," Shizuka muttered.   
  
"Delicate souls," Taro hissed. "I smell them within   
you, dragon spawn...! I hunger for them!!"   
  
"Then come and get them, puss-for-brains!" Shizuka   
snarled angrily.   
  
Cinder held out his arms toward the Sailor Senshi,   
and the traitors Ranma and Ryoga... seven opponents in   
all. Totally uneven, he decided, but then, the battle   
was always in his favor. He wasn't the valued loyal   
retainer of Lord Kolvar na Strakil for nothing.   
  
"I will defeat all of you," he challenged, his   
chasm voice carried by the wind. "I will avenge my   
lord and master, my people, and my disciple... and I   
will destroy whoever gets in the way of the kami!!"   
  
Ranma stepped forward, ahead of the others. "If it's   
a challenge you want, you've got it!"   
  
The boy behaves as if he was going to finish it all   
by himself, Cinder noted. His fists flaring with a   
greater fire, he raised them up in the air, and brought   
them down quickly in an X-pattern. Flames rocketed   
across the deck in the pattern. "Fire Cross!"   
  
And it was Neptune who stepped up to the plate.   
"Deep Submerge!"   
  
A torrent of water jetted from her hands, but the   
force behind the Fire Cross was too much for the water   
force, transforming it to steam instantly and   
continuing its path. The seven opponents scattered as   
the fire attack exploded with the full fury of the   
annihilated peoples.   
  
"Cinder, you bastard!" he heard Ryoga shout. "We're   
all on the same side!!"   
  
Unfortunately for Ryoga, the fire master was standing   
over him, emerging from the smoke like a specter.   
"Twice now you've betrayed our cause, Hibiki. Worm.   
You dare defy the will of gods, but I will not allow   
a third time!"   
  
---   
  
"I've had enough of you," Pantyhose Taro snarled,   
strengthening his hold on Shizuka enough such that she   
was forced to release her own grip. "No matter how   
strong you think you are, you'll always be weak. No   
matter how much heart you give, you'll never compete   
with the likes of me!"   
  
He lifted her up with one hand, holding her by the   
neck.   
  
"Bullshit," she cursed. "You know nothing!"   
  
"Shizuka!!" someone cried, probably Ranma.   
  
"I pity anyone whose soul is as weak as yours," she   
spat. "Better to have a frail body and weak mind than   
a weak soul. You're no different than the other souls   
Deathclaw captured; you are a prisoner to your   
parasite."   
  
"I'll soon rectify that!" he promised. "Your use has   
come to an end, Shizuka; Deathclaw will become one with   
me, and I'll show you how frail and weak you really   
are!"   
  
"Oh geez, you called me by my actual name," the   
priestess snorted, jeering to the last. "I'm so   
privileged."   
  
"Now," Taro declared, "the souls Deathclaw has   
hoarded over the centuries are mine! I don't care for   
one heart crystal's loss when I can have hundreds more   
of similar quality and power!"   
  
Black lightning crawled up his gloved arm, bathing   
the priestess of Genbu in dark energy. The energy   
gathered at her heart, threatening to steal that which   
made her Shizuka.   
  
But in all of it, she was laughing.   
  
"What's so funny?!" he demanded.   
  
"You're too late," Shizuka declared, laughing   
despite herself. Unseen, hidden in her sleeve, she   
activated the charging mechanism of the Night Hammer.   
  
Lightning rained from the sky, and the energy   
collectors that made up the deck illuminated. All   
were blinded by the mass of energy collected for the   
second time from all around Earth, and the Dead End   
Buster hummed with power.   
  
At the same moment, the three black crystal chunks,   
placed strategically around the Night Hammer, began   
to glow with their own, hellish light.   
  
---   
  
Palace of Solitude, Nemesis   
  
"It is done!" Sypha declared, finishing the summoning   
ceremony.   
  
Instantly she teleported from her secluded chamber,   
and reappeared in the command center, satisfied that   
Kanna, Ukyo, and Mousse were still present and   
attentive. Each held their eyes on the main   
viewscreen, watching as the five spires surrounding   
Darkhold illuminated the night sky with violet   
lightning. A violet column of light emerged,   
enveloping the entire city in hellish energy. A large,   
wedge shape flashed into view above, and Sypha knew   
her incantation was successful.   
  
"Now the final battle begins," she declared.   
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Stay tuned for the conclusion.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	12. Ragnarok

Souls of Fire #12: Ragnarok   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters. The manga has precedence   
over material in the anime.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Interview 7   
  
"A soul... it's something that defines us for who and   
what we are. It's an intangible wisp of essence. The   
ancient cultures described it as the breath of life,   
and perhaps they aren't so far from the truth. These   
days it's what some people would call 'character,' I   
suppose. Well, whatever term you use... a soul is   
what makes you... you."   
  
"In my travels I've come to learn what others would   
consider the supreme being, and the most interesting   
one I've heard yet was this: God is the culmination of   
each and every soul that existed, before, now, and that   
have yet to be. That we are all a small, yet   
significant part, of a greater whole, of something   
grand and special. A world where all is one, unified,   
and whole."   
  
"I don't necessarily agree with this guy, and it's   
only natural that everyone decide to define their own   
beliefs. Yet, somehow, when you over-analyze the   
wording like Kanna does, you see a certain truth in the   
matter. But that's neither here nor there."   
  
"I'm telling you I got to experience the idea first-   
hand, and let me tell you, it wasn't in a pleasant   
way."   
  
---   
  
Sky Deck, Night Hammer   
  
Floating in a nearly-airless sea of space, the wedge-   
shaped Mishima-made airship maintained high orbit over   
Nemesis, directly above the capitol city of Darkhold.   
The entire deck, made up of black energy collectors,   
crackled with electrical pulses, converting its newly-   
acquired power and charging the Dead End Buster in   
moments.   
  
Cinder mentally cursed the timing, standing over the   
fallen Ryoga Hibiki, having to abort his attack from   
the sudden lack of oxygen in the air. His cavernous   
breaths sucked in air like a vacuum, unable to find   
enough to satisfy the void within his breathers. Using   
his mind Cinder concentrated on the two oxygen tanks   
strapped to his back beneath his traveling cloak,   
turning the valves open with psychokinetic power.   
  
It was this momentary pause that allowed Ryoga to   
escape his punishment for betrayal, and the moment the   
oxygen started filling him again the salamander was   
tackled from behind by an energy burst from one of the   
Sailor Senshi. He was fortunate that, despite his   
rather openness, the attacker was also disoriented by   
the atmospheric change as well, and the blast was not   
as strong as it could have been.   
  
Cinder spun quickly, and his mechanical eye tracked   
Sailor Mars as the offender. The eye rotated outward   
to focus, and he noted that she was also having trouble   
breathing, but not as bad as the salamander; the humans   
required a lot less oxygen than Cinder did.   
  
"A little less toast than usual, eh?" he snorted.   
  
Before Mars could fire off a response, Cinder spread   
his arms out to the sides, and jetted gales of flame to   
Uranus and Mercury, who were attempting side attacks.   
He then lowered his steel-pronged tail behind him under   
the bottom of his robe, and threw a fireball behind him   
at Ryoga with its forked end.   
  
"Blast it, girl," he cursed, wondering where the   
priestess went, "what happened to the artificial   
atmosphere?"   
  
For that matter, it was likely he was under the   
affects of the Nemesis gravity, too, which was a bit   
lighter than Earth's. Not that it gave him a huge   
advantage; all Cinder cared for was a constant source   
of high-concentration oxygen, and the Night Hammer's   
atmospheric envelope wasn't turned on.   
  
It also meant the ship could not break into space.   
  
"NOW would be a good time, Lady Sypha," he hissed   
to himself, charging his mechanical eye's blaster and   
aiming for Sailor Mars.   
  
---   
  
Despite the light show, Taro's hand never left   
Shizuka's neck, and she remained dangling over the   
deck, her arms hanging loosely to her sides. All   
signs of struggle seemed to have ended long ago, but   
the girl was still laughing.   
  
"Cheap trick," he muttered.   
  
"Let her go!" he heard Sailor Moon shout from   
behind.   
  
He turned to face her, and saw that Ranma was with   
her. "Ah, Femme-boy. You sided with the Queen of   
Broken Hearts, eh?"   
  
"Tough luck, I don't change into a girl anymore,"   
Ranma informed him.   
  
"Even then, you're still the same hermaphrodite as   
before," Taro replied sharply. "Have you come to   
witness my ascension? This girl holds the key to that,   
and I will become a true god."   
  
"You can't be serious," Ranma said in disbelief.   
"Her?"   
  
"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence," Shizuka   
muttered.   
  
"But why her?" asked Sailor Moon, her fingers tight   
on the shaft of her wand.   
  
"I did a bit of studying since we last met, oh   
Queen," Pantyhose Taro said, spitting out the last   
word in contempt. "I prepared, and engineered the   
deaths of all my rivals to godhood when I learned that   
Deathclaw needs to take on a host in order to interact   
with the living. Consequently the beast absorbs the   
souls of those who become his host."   
  
"And since Shizuka currently hosts Deathclaw you're   
going to sponge the heart crystals out of him, huh?"   
realized Ranma. "That's crazy."   
  
"With enough heart crystals perhaps you could rival   
a god," Sailor Moon granted, "but your heart will   
never know joy."   
  
Taro's gloved arm crackled with black lightning.   
"I define joy!"   
  
The dark energy lanced through Shizuka's chest, but   
the girl would concede no pain. Taro granted that it   
was admirable that she refused to show weakness even   
now, but he promised to make his threat very real to   
her nevertheless. He could already feel her heart   
crystal emerge despite its strong protests.   
  
"Shizuka, fight it!" encouraged Sailor Moon.   
  
"Shoot him!" Ranma ordered. "C'mon!"   
  
"I might hit her," she said, making up excuses. It   
sounded very weak to Taro's ears; she was definitely   
going to get pancaked second. "I might hit the heart   
crystals!"   
  
"Goddamnit, shoot me!" Shizuka cried, obviously   
growing impatient.   
  
"You can't die yet," Taro replied softly,   
sadistically.   
  
"We can't let him win like this!" Femme-boy yelled   
anxiously.   
  
He turned his attention completely on Shizuka, and   
saw that her heart crystal was halfway out. Taro   
chuckled in delight when he saw that another heart   
crystal was emerging from within the girl's, likely one   
of the absorbed crystals. It raced to join the orbit   
of Taro's remaining three heart crystals, and soon   
more heart crystals appeared.   
  
And then they started flying out loosely.   
  
"Yes," he roared. "YES!! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-hah!!"   
  
"You neglected one thing," he heard a voice say, but   
the source could not be heard through his ears. Taro   
could not put a finger on the voice, as it seemed to be   
a strange amalgam of a man and a woman. Yet, only the   
female voice seemed familiar... and it hit him.   
  
"Get out of my head," he muttered lowly, drawing   
heart crystals out at a faster rate until no more would   
emerge. He struggled to pry out Shizuka's crystal,   
which was still resisting with unimaginable force.   
  
"Ironic, that in your bid for power you failed to   
consider your own parasite is engineering your   
demise," Shizuka/Deathclaw informed him. "How ironic,   
that you neglected to consider the curse of the ghost   
dragon in your hasty desire!"   
  
"What?!" he gasped, realizing that he did neglect   
something.   
  
"Fool," Taro heard a third voice say, this one in the   
sound of his own voice, but not his voice. "Thanks to   
you, my revival is complete."   
  
"You!" he screamed frantically. "What are you   
doing?!"   
  
"Taking over," the unwelcome one said simply.   
  
"No, stop!" Taro cried, releasing his hold on   
Shizuka, dropping her on the ground like a rag doll.   
He turned away, clutching at his chest in pain as the   
numerous heart crystals spinning around him caved-in   
over him.   
  
"Taro!" Sailor Moon cried.   
  
Pantyhose Taro screamed in terror, the parasite that   
guided him this far consuming his body as the curse of   
Deathclaw enraptured his soul.   
  
---   
  
His weakness was becoming very apparent to the   
enemy, Cinder noted, as he consumed too much of his   
precious oxygen reserves just to keep the Sailor Senshi   
and Ryoga at bay. It never seemed to end; Uranus would   
attack, then Ryoga, then Mars, then Neptune, then   
Mercury, all taking turns to get a shot in, and   
sometimes they did it at the same time.   
  
No man could endure such odds, but then, Cinder was   
no man. He vowed to lay his life down for his lord,   
and that was exactly what he intended to do, even if   
he had to join him in death.   
  
The circle formed by his opponents spread wider   
when the help arrived, forming a circle around the   
exhausted Cinder. Each of the remaining Fenril Knights   
appeared in a shifting dark shadow, materializing with   
the power of their black crystal shards.   
  
"More of them!" Uranus shouted.   
  
"Sorry we took so long," Ukyo said, holding her   
giant combat spatula ready in her hands.   
  
"How typical," Mousse snorted, the crippled warrior   
equipped with arm-mounted blades that did not require   
the use of his hands, "that these guys gang up like   
this."   
  
"The odds are still in our favor," Kanna added,   
spinning her scythe once in readiness.   
  
Sypha raised her claws from the ground. "Even if I   
hold back, this is still unfair to them."   
  
"Hah, now this is more like it!" Ryoga shouted.   
  
"The traitor's mine," Cinder decided, quickly   
gathering his breath. "But Shizuka needs to turn on   
the atmospheric envelope before we all get exhausted.   
Vizier is tying her up."   
  
"We'll work on it," assured Ukyo. "Just keep your   
guy to yourself, and we'll do the same!"   
  
Each of the five Fenril Knights charged, spreading   
out from their circle to their five opponents.   
  
---   
  
Myriad of heart crystals buried Pantyhose Taro like   
iron filings to a magnet, and the warrior remained   
prone on the ground, unmoving, without making a sound.   
Sailor Moon took careful steps toward the fallen one,   
her eyes momentarily glancing toward Shizuka, who   
seemed to be coming around on her own despite being   
thrown around and gutted.   
  
"Careful," warned Ranma. "He's a tricky guy."   
  
"I need to find Sailor Venus," she replied, holding   
her wand out. "This may be the last chance."   
  
"And what about the others?" the martial artist   
asked. "Don't they all deserve another chance at   
life?"   
  
"It's not that simple," she replied. "Cinder was   
right; it's inhuman to keep resurrecting people, but it   
is wrong to take away a life in this manner. I only   
know that Sailor Venus understands this."   
  
"Yeah, well, it's just I'm not so eager to get   
Kodachi back," Ranma admitted reluctantly.   
  
Using the head of the wand like a magnet, a single   
heart crystal, shining much brighter than the rest of   
the mass, emerged from the pile and flitted toward   
her. The crystal vanished into the head, and Sailor   
Moon knew she found her lost friend.   
  
And yet, pulling that single crystal away seemed to   
jar Pantyhose Taro into action, as the mass began to   
quake. A blackened, bony claw tore from beneath the   
pile, with nails that extended outward sharply. All at   
once the heart crystals reacted, producing a light that   
hurt Sailor Moon's eyes.   
  
"Give back what you have taken," Taro rumbled, the   
light increasing in intensity.   
  
"What the hell...?!" Ranma gasped. The voice indeed   
belonged to the martial artist, but at the same time,   
it sounded nothing like him.   
  
---   
  
Crimson light illuminated the sky over Darkhold,   
silhouetting the wedge-shaped Night Hammer over the   
heads of the Crystal Tokyo populace. Where battles   
raged in the heavens above the eyes of the people   
gazed upward to the sign of an apocalypse.   
  
Emerging from Ukyo's restaurant, Cologne's old and   
weary eyes peered into the illuminated sky. It was now   
common knowledge that the owner, Ukyo, was the resident   
Fenril administrator watching over the people of   
Crystal Tokyo, ever since she disappeared and Cologne   
took over the restaurant. It was not a hard puzzle for   
the people to figure out, and Ukyo knew it would happen   
eventually, but she decided she had to exert her   
authority over the other two Fenril lords and quit   
dodging her responsibility.   
  
"So the battle has finally come?" she said to   
herself.   
  
---   
  
Battles raging over the sky deck ceased completely as   
the heart crystals blinded them. Ukyo held Sailor Mars   
pinned down by the length of her spatula. Kanna   
lowered her scythe in her engagement against Uranus,   
who lowered her own sword. Ryoga dared not release his   
parry on Cinder's slashing arms, as they continued to   
waver against his brute strength. Sypha merely stared   
bored toward Taro's direction, having tied up Mercury   
with magical bonds from her crystal ball. Neptune and   
Mousse backed off from each other as they faced the   
crimson light.   
  
Ranma could barely see anything in the blinding   
light, but if he had to make a guess he'd say that Taro   
was getting larger by the moment.   
  
"He's merging with the heart crystals," Sailor Moon   
warned, as Taro's back burst into many flailing   
strips of skin.   
  
And then the martial artist realized what was   
happening. "He's transforming... without cold water?"   
  
Pantyhose Taro roared in pain as the transformation   
consumed him, his voice tortured by unimaginable   
suffering. His voice was joined by those heart   
crystals he consumed in his mad bid for power, having   
sucked them from Shizuka's soul. Whatever it was that   
was going on in his body, Ranma wished no one would   
experience it.   
  
"I live," the monster rumbled. "I live!"   
  
"Shut the hell up, that's so cheesy," Shizuka cried,   
sounding more annoyed than anything.   
  
The light faded from the monster's body, and Ranma   
saw the nightmarish Pantyhose Taro towering over him,   
not unlike any previous encounter. The brown-furred   
behemoth stood on hooved feet, with a long tail   
thrashing about behind it, its tip ending in the head   
of an eel. His arms were huge and muscular, and could   
manipulate objects as easily as any man. Large white   
wings spread from the behemoth's back, along with many   
rows of octopus tentacles, thrashing about individually   
with a mind of their own. The head was unmistakably   
that of a bull, with horns locked forward and as sharp   
as ever. The monster's blood-shot eyes stared down at   
him and Sailor Moon, and he growled in anger.   
  
The only difference between this encounter and any   
previous was the fact that another set of eyes and   
mouths opened up in the creature's chest, creating a   
second, more twisted, demonic face.   
  
"Vizier," Sailor Moon whispered, awed.   
  
"What happened to Pantyhose Taro?!" demanded Ranma,   
unusually worried.   
  
"He is a slave to his body," Shizuka revealed. "The   
parasite within him is too strong for him, and it   
consumed him. Such is the fate of those weaklings who   
attempt to become one with a god; Taro's thirst for   
power ended in his own undoing, the same as the undoing   
of those before who tried to tame Deathclaw's power."   
  
"Look at this magnificent body," Vizier proclaimed,   
the voice emerging from the face in the chest. "I must   
thank you, Sailor Moon, for helping me to get this   
far into my ultimate plans."   
  
"You planned to do this all along?" Sailor Moon   
realized. "You wanted us to destroy your previous   
body, just so you could take the time to find another,   
more powerful one."   
  
"Exactly," admitted the monster. "When you thought   
me destroyed, just like my brethren, you wouldn't pay   
me any mind while I worked in the shadows of the Silver   
Crystal's light. The plan was set back, however, when   
another interfered... but ironically it ensured my own   
survival."   
  
"Death Phantom."   
  
"It was my dark brother that opposed me, and he   
carried the victims of my essence forward to this time   
from that last battle," continued Vizier. "He saw it   
fit to use me while I continued to dwell in my dormant   
stage. He did not count on my awakening, not at this   
critical juncture in his own bid for ascension."   
  
"What's this all about?" demanded Ranma.   
  
"It's about the reason you exist in this time,"   
Vizier answered. "Death Phantom conquered Sailor Pluto   
and traveled back in time, to the point before the   
Great Sleep, and attempted to destroy Crystal Tokyo by   
making sure it never existed. In the process, he   
ended up creating it. So in order to ensure his own   
future back in his time he brought you and your allies   
forward in time to fight this war for him... to buy him   
time to power his Black Crystal and attain his   
ascension. All of you are nothing but pawns to Death   
Phantom's ambition."   
  
"Is that supposed to change anything?" asked Shizuka,   
getting up to her feet to join Sailor Moon and Ranma.   
"Removing us from the timeline... preventing us from   
stopping what might have been...."   
  
"It was because all of it already happened," Cinder   
interrupted.   
  
Ranma turned, and saw the others had joined them.   
Side-by-side the Fenril Knights and Sailor Senshi stood   
facing the monster, each knowing where the bigger   
threat lay. It transcended beyond their differences,   
and although the hasty alliance was yet uneasy, it   
looked good to Ranma.   
  
"Who's to say that?" Vizier sneered. "Because of   
Death Phantom, your benefactor," he held the last word   
in scorn, "all of you lost everything, because you   
weren't there to prevent the tragedies."   
  
"Then you must know as well as I that I was the   
Guardian of the Seal to the Shrine of the Four Gods,"   
the salamander revealed. "The reason they could not   
thwart the Mekani attack by sealing the gate was due to   
my absence, and the absence of each and every   
individual who had the potential to learn the sealing   
rite." He gestured to the remaining Fenril Knights,   
but pointed no fingers.   
  
"I should've known this was his fault," Sailor Mars   
shot angrily. "Millions died because of that old   
freak!"   
  
"But yet it was still our hand that carried it out,"   
Sailor Moon added. "We are as much to blame as he   
is."   
  
"If the point of origin was from this time," Sypha   
reasoned, "then the past may as well be set in stone.   
Our world was lost before we knew it; it was written   
out before we could live it." The sorcerer shook her   
head. "It's no use to dwell on what might have been!"   
  
"Even if all of that's true," said Ukyo, sounding   
quite unnerved about the revelation, "I still see a   
monster in front of me. Whoever you are, Vizier, what   
right does it give you to kill everyone for your own   
selfish ambition?"   
  
"Ask the same of your benefactor," countered Vizier.   
  
Kanna merely laughed. "But still, Mr. Vizier... why   
don't you tell us all about your little prophecy."   
  
All eyes turned toward the Crystal Spider.   
  
"The Children of Chaos emerge from the defeat of   
their father, that much I'm sure you all know," Kanna   
explained. "But what the prophecy is fuzzy on is how   
it can be fulfilled. That's never explained, and the   
exact prophecy's wording has been lost in time. The   
answer is the reason you five fight each other."   
  
"An interesting observation," Vizier granted.   
  
"It's not enough that Chaos be avenged, but that one   
of you take his place as well. It's a rite of   
succession."   
  
"So all of this is one glorified power struggle,"   
Ranma noted.   
  
"And the last one left wins by default," Ryoga knew.   
  
"But now there's only just Death Phantom and Vizier,"   
Sailor Uranus pointed out. "We destroyed the other   
three a long time ago."   
  
"So you were planning to wait-out Death Phantom's   
destruction so you could claim Chaos' throne," Mercury   
concluded. "The reason for the virus was to ensure   
your survival and eventual revival at the right moment,   
not any desire to Silence Earth. It's only   
consequential."   
  
"I care nothing for this planet," the Chaos Child   
admitted. "Nor do I care for your Silver Crystal, yet   
it is ever a threat to my power. Both that and the   
Black Crystal rely on the hearts of the people in order   
to function, but if I eliminate the people, I   
eliminate the threat."   
  
He gazed toward the heavens above. "When the   
advance Mekani fleet arrives, they will slaughter the   
people of Earth and Nemesis with impunity! With the   
coming of Silence, all my enemies will be defeated,   
and I, Vizier, will reign supreme!"   
  
"Kiss it!" Shizuka shouted, revealing the master   
control of the Night Hammer. She pressed a green   
button on the top row.   
  
Ranma felt the air dense up as the atmospheric   
envelope initiated, filling the air around the sky   
deck with more free air than Earth's polluted   
atmosphere; Cinder described it as the air the Kami   
Plane's Earth was graced with. The cleanliness did not   
hold his attention long, however, as the martial artist   
realized that said salamander was powering-up his fire   
ability, now that he was revitalized with the ever-   
precious oxygen content.   
  
He also felt the tug of gravity pull down against   
his body, but Ranma got used to it immediately as the   
gravity level adjusted to Earth standard. The ground   
rumbled beneath his feet as the main engines of the   
airship roared to life, so now it was noticeable that   
the Night Hammer was ascending beyond the atmosphere.   
  
"Alright," decided Ranma, "so it basically boils down   
to which one of 'em we'd rather live with."   
  
"Why's that?" asked Ukyo, blinking.   
  
"If we take the time to stop one of them," Sypha   
explained, "that will leave the other to ascend to the   
mantle of Chaos. A perfect plan, a perfect dilemma!"   
  
"Why can't we just take both of them down at once?"   
wondered Sailor Mars, obviously itching for Death   
Phantom's head.   
  
"Time for debate is over!" Cinder declared,   
transforming furiously into a great fireball. Those   
standing near him backed away as the fireball rocketed   
to tackle Vizier in the chest, but the Chaos creature   
barely seemed to feel it. With a butt back using only   
his chest Cinder was sent flying backward, and   
disappeared from view.   
  
"It's as Vizier said," Mercury said. "If we let   
Vizier go the Mekani will arrive and wipe out the   
people of Earth. Death Phantom perfectly engineered   
his plan such that we have to take out Vizier no matter   
what we think about him."   
  
"Then Vizier's merely a pawn, too," Kanna snorted in   
amusement. "And the fool doesn't know it."   
  
No sooner had Cinder rocketed back into view Sypha   
fireballed as well, and both kami launched themselves   
head-on into Vizier's chest. Both seemed to bounce off   
the monster, being pushed back a long way, but the two,   
ever so stubborn, wheeled around for another pass.   
  
"Well, are you just going to stand there?!" Mousse   
cried impatiently, raising an arm blade. "Let's get   
him!"   
  
"It's folly to oppose a god!" Vizier declared,   
raising a hand in Mousse's direction. From each of his   
fingers ink blots flew outward, and scattered the front   
his enemies were making on him.   
  
---   
  
The corridors seemed dark and cold. Footsteps   
echoed in the decks below the sky deck, unnoticed by   
any who battled above. The only question on this one's   
mind was, "What's going on?"   
  
There was no one around to answer, but the latecomer   
to the conflict resolved to find out.   
  
---   
  
Ink as black as night jetted from Vizier's   
fingertips, launching at a spread that forced his   
arrayed opponents to scatter. The bestial, bull head   
rumbled a low chuckle, one which Ranma was all too   
familiar with in his previous encounters. What was   
more eerie, however, was that the twisted, demonic face   
in Taro's chest was laughing along with it. Blood-red   
eyes gazed separately from the true head, folding hide   
in sickening directions that made Ranma feel like   
vomiting.   
  
The beast that was now Vizier was unworldly, more so   
than Pantyhose Taro, the twisted chimera, had ever   
been. More so than the kami salamander Cinder, the   
obsidian-scaled lizard maimed by his experiences on   
Earth, and even more twisted with the perverted steel   
grafts. More so than Sypha, beautiful and regal in her   
human guise, magnificent and terrifying in her true   
form. Even more than Deathclaw, the disgusting   
spectral dragon skeleton, and the normal-appearing girl   
he possessed. No, Vizier was a far greater perversion,   
that of life itself.   
  
And Ranma was partly responsible for his awakening.   
  
He never shared his experiences under the influence   
of the Chaos cells to anyone, not even Akane. The   
black crystal jewel the martial artist assembled was   
but a mere tool to trigger Vizier's revival from his   
dormant stage. It was the cells that fed him the idea,   
and Ranma knew that, out of the remaining Fenril   
Knights, Vizier was trying to decide whether to take   
him or Taro as his host.   
  
If it wasn't for Sailor Moon, Ranma would be the one   
with that twisted face in his chest.   
  
He dodged a flailing tentacle as Vizier divided his   
attention on his numerous attackers. Although   
outnumbered the revived Chaos Child was not allowing   
anyone to get a good hit in, and whatever spatula,   
knife, or fireball that did get past the defense none   
of those hardly seemed to faze him.   
  
"I traded Pantyhose Taro's life for my own," he   
realized suddenly. "I made Vizier choose him instead   
of me... this is my fault!"   
  
"What?" he heard Sailor Moon cry. "That's not true!"   
  
He felt the warmness of his own ki around him. "I   
was this close to becoming Vizier's host... he wanted   
me... until I rejected the crystal." Ranma clenched   
his fists in anger. "This guy's gonna pay!"   
  
"Aw, shit!" he heard Ukyo curse. Ranma risked   
tearing his eyes away from Vizier and glanced toward   
his old friend. She stared up and beyond the bow of   
the Night Hammer, and Ranma did the same.   
  
He felt the eyes of all combatants, including that   
of Vizier, forget the battle and focus on the anomaly   
in the space beyond Nemesis, off the port of the   
airship. A ripple emerged, highlighted by azure   
energy, from a point of light in the midst of   
nothing. The point expanded, spreading in a pattern   
from the center in what resembled a spider web.   
  
The point at the center grew larger, and four probe-   
like appendages emerged. Each spread outward from the   
center, spreading across and forming the shape of an   
insectoid in Ranma's mind. As the hole grew larger the   
body connecting the four leg appendages emerged, in a   
large, spherical shape. At the forefront of the   
sphere was what appeared to be a large, ruby diamond   
shape, ringed by gold.   
  
From this distance the giant spheroid creature   
appeared to be as large as Sailor Moon's head, from a   
quick size comparison, but Ranma knew it was only   
because the beast was far off. The martial artist   
could not tell the distance without any point of   
reference beyond the port.   
  
"That," he heard Kanna say, "is one big spider...."   
  
"Ah, they've finally arrived!" Vizier proclaimed,   
obviously pleased. "You fools, you're too late to stop   
them now."   
  
"I hope they aren't just sending just one of those   
big things," muttered Ukyo.   
  
"That beast isn't just one Mekani," Uranus warned.   
"It's a lot of smaller Mekani put together."   
  
"You're kidding," the okonomiyaki chef replied in   
disbelief.   
  
"I wish I were," she admitted. "These Mekani are far   
more advanced than the ones we fought before. The   
giant you see there is an optical illusion; up close   
all the spheroids are visible and link up like a cell   
lattice."   
  
"I feel chemistry lessons coming on," Kanna   
recognized. "They move like one mass, and when they're   
ready to deploy they break off from the whole. How   
interesting."   
  
"And there's nothing you can do to stop them!" the   
Chaos Child declared, drawing all attention back to   
himself as the Mekani cluster continued to emerge from   
the center of the web.   
  
"Wanna bet?" Shizuka shouted, holding out the remote   
control box.   
  
"You idiot," Ranma muttered, noting in a split   
second that Vizier's palm was aiming toward the   
priestess of Genbu. His body moving automatically, he   
tried to tackle the girl before the black energy   
lancing from Vizier's palm could reach her.   
  
And yet, the darkness somehow traveled faster than   
he, or anyone else that realized how much in danger   
Shizuka was in. Ranma was certain Shizuka didn't have   
the time to realize she was in trouble as she screamed,   
the dark energy engulfing her. The martial artist was   
thrown back and away from the impact point centered on   
the girl, as were anyone within five meters.   
  
"Shizuka!" everyone seemed to shout at once, a dark   
void sphere inhabiting the area where the priestess   
once stood.   
  
"Pity," Vizier said, his bull head laughing, "there   
goes your only chance to fire the Dead End Buster."   
  
Flame encircled Cinder's robed form, and Sypha, too,   
appeared ready to continue the melee. Vizier was only   
too happy to oblige, and the three resumed the fight,   
with the others following suit. Ranma stood there,   
torn between continuing the fight and the fallen   
priestess.   
  
The dark sphere cracked, then shattered like glass,   
but without a sound. Black smoke billowed from its   
entrapped area, and Ranma waved the foul odor from his   
nostrils. As it cleared he made out a human shape, and   
knew it was Shizuka, kneeling on the ground.   
  
Sailor Moon and Kanna rushed to her side immediately,   
and when the smoke dissipated completely Ranma   
understood.   
  
Shizuka collapsed face-first onto the deck,   
revealing that which she was hiding close to her chest.   
The very arm holding the control box slowly edged its   
way out from under her body, and where there should   
have been her left hand was a smoking stump.   
  
Kanna bent her knees, and reached down to feel the   
girl's pulse. "She's still breathing."   
  
Reaching down to the priestess' sleeve the Crystal   
Spider found Shizuka's black crystal prism, dangling   
from the end on a chord, and pulled it free. She held   
it out to Sailor Moon. "Here."   
  
"What's this for?" she asked, staring at the dark   
prism apprehensively.   
  
"She's not going to need it," Kanna explained. "And   
without one I can't take you to see Wiseman."   
  
"What about Vizier?" Moon asked, obviously torn.   
  
"They can take care of Vizier," the tactician   
insisted. "If you want to stop the both of them, you   
need me to take you to Wiseman."   
  
"Sailor Moon, just go," Ranma chipped in, stepping in   
closer to the girls. "We can deal with Vizier."   
  
"What about the Mekani?"   
  
The martial artist shrugged. "We'll deal with that   
when we come to it, I guess."   
  
Sailor Moon smiled. "Do your best." She turned back   
toward Kanna, and placed her hand on the prism. "It's   
now or never."   
  
"See you on the flip side," Kanna said to Ranma,   
nodding.   
  
In the blink of an eye, the air shifted around both   
Sailor Moon and Kanna, vanishing into thin air. Ranma   
stared down at Shizuka, her fingers twitching. He   
caught sight of a spectral force emerging from the   
stump, and Ranma knew Deathclaw was taking the   
opportunity to assert control over the unconscious   
girl's body.   
  
"It's now or never," he decided, deciding to gauge   
his remaining time on Deathclaw's awakening.   
  
Ranma leaped over a thrashing tentacle threatening   
to bring him off his feet, and tried to edge in closer   
to Vizier's body. The beast's back was turned, his   
full attention on the attacks the Sailor Senshi and   
Sypha and Cinder were giving him, as they were the ones   
getting in apparent hits with their magic and energy   
attacks. More tentacles, seemingly having a mind of   
their own, diverted their attention onto Ranma as he   
was getting closer.   
  
He raised his arms high to block a bludgeon overhead   
attack. "Ryoga! Mousse! Ukyo!" he shouted, calling off   
names he could trust. "Get these things off of me!"   
  
Ducking under another tentacle the martial artist   
barely noticed that a spatula bit into the cartilage   
skin, and to his right another one was severed by   
Mousse's arm blades. Another tentacle wrapped itself   
around Ranma's feet, and he fell onto his back. Ryoga   
rushed to his aid, kicking another tentacle away hard,   
and began to pry at the one at Ranma's feet.   
  
"We can't put up with this much longer," Ryoga   
muttered, overpowering the tentacle's grip. Ranma   
scrambled backward, retreating from the tentacle mass.   
  
"And I'm almost out," reported Ukyo, indicating she   
was running out of throwing spatulas.   
  
Mousse took another quick swing, severing a stray   
tentacle heading his way. "This is ridiculous!   
There's more of us fighting Pantyhose Taro this time   
around and we still can't get a hit in!"   
  
"Don't look at me!" Ukyo replied.   
  
"But it ISN'T any different from the other times!"   
Ranma said, coming up with a bright idea. His eyes   
scanned around the stretch of the sky deck, and an idea   
hit him.   
  
Turning his attention back to his friends, he   
instructed, "Tell Cinder to set up his sealing spell,   
and Sypha a dark grid. I need the Sailor Senshi to   
concentrate their attacks on Vizier when I give the   
signal."   
  
"And what're you doing?" wondered Ryoga.   
  
"Never mind, just do it!" Ukyo interrupted before   
Ranma could explain. She gave him a concerned look.   
"I hope you know what you're doing, Ranchan...."   
  
"Trust me, I'm makin' it up as I go along," he   
offered with a smile.   
  
Mousse gave a quick warrior's salute with his arm   
blade. "Good luck, you'll need it!"   
  
Ranma saw it in their eyes; both Ukyo and Mousse,   
even with the reflection off his glasses, caught on to   
what he was up to, but Ryoga hadn't yet. It didn't   
matter; he'll find out soon enough, too.   
  
He had no time to consider if the two kami would be   
uncooperative; Ranma just needed to get Vizier's   
attention, and then worry about his own hide.   
  
Ranma held his palms out, and great bolts of ki   
leaped forth. Both bolts slammed past the tentacles,   
and impacted on Vizier himself. The Chaos beast's bull   
head craned his direction in anger, and more tentacles   
lashed out in Ranma's direction.   
  
So far, so good, he thought, breaking into a sprint   
with the tentacles trailing after. Ranma directed   
himself toward the Dead End Buster's barrel, and he   
knew Vizier was going out of his way to ignore the   
others to keep the tentacles in range.   
  
He leaped up and stood at the edge of the barrel of   
the Dead End Buster, the tentacles slowing in their   
chase. Ranma glanced down at Sypha's direction, and   
she had just finished weaving her black magic. In a   
translucent screen before him a black chain-link grid   
appeared before the martial artist, and the tentacles   
tried to run through them, just as expected.   
  
"Yes!" Ranma cried, satisfied the ruse he used on   
Taro long before worked even now. It was in the nature   
of the octopus tentacles to seek shelter in cramped   
spaces, after all.   
  
Unfortunately, Ranma's luck chose to run out, and   
the tentacles pushed him further into the barrel.   
  
This was not part of the plan, he kept telling   
himself. Should've gotten out of the way sooner!   
  
Ranma turned around, staring back down toward the end   
of the barrel. Vizier's body completely blocked the   
exit, and his glowing eyes offered the only source of   
illumination. His face was twisted in pain, and Ranma   
knew that Cinder had succeeded in paralyzing him with   
the sealing magic. The spell effectively used Vizier's   
body to completely seal the 'opening' offered by the   
cannon barrel, putting him in a good position for   
firing the Buster.   
  
He realized he never thought that far ahead, either;   
the control box went up with Shizuka.   
  
"Thank you," he heard in his head, knowing the voice   
belonged to Pantyhose Taro. Ranma, for his part,   
wished he thought through the plan a lot more.   
  
"Sorry, Akane...."   
  
Vizier's mouth began to glow with dark energy, and   
Ranma knew he was going to get it.   
  
"No, it's not your time yet," he heard a voice say in   
his head. "I gladly trade my life for your   
happiness...."   
  
"What the...?!" He was far too late to stop her.   
  
Ranma felt the ground disappear beneath his feet,   
and the cold embrace of darkness engulfed him.   
  
---   
  
"He's in position," noted Ukyo, her eyes on the   
sealed barrel, "but it won't do any good unless we can   
fire the cannon."   
  
"Ah, it feels good to be needed," they heard a voice   
say, projected over unseen speakers on the sky deck.   
  
"That voice...!" Mercury recognized.   
  
---   
  
Shion leaned forward over the control console, quite   
satisfied that he was able to recover and decrypt his   
own code in time. It was a miracle, but then, he   
prided himself on being a miracle worker.   
  
He wondered if his dominating satellite feed of the   
battle, sent back to Earth over all other signals, was   
getting a good following. It didn't matter, really, as   
the turret was already directed toward the Mekani   
cluster. Two birds with one stone was a reasonably   
good deal.   
  
Holding his thumb over the firing button, Shion   
said, "Give my regards to Orochi!"   
  
---   
  
Hokuto refused to release the hold her shadow hands   
had on Vizier's final energy attack, slowly pushing her   
backward with immense force. She felt Ranma leave the   
shadow stream, feeling relieved that he would be safe.   
The Shadow Weaver felt more energy gathering behind   
her.   
  
"Farewell, my love," she whispered. "I can never   
repay for my misdeeds, and the suffering I caused...   
straying from the middle path. My only regret...."   
  
Darkness enveloped her from behind, welcoming Hokuto   
back into the night whence she came.   
  
---   
  
Everyone on the sky deck shielded their eyes as the   
Dead End Buster's violet lance vaporized Vizier   
completely, and continued on as if he were never there.   
The blast extended outward quickly, driving dead center   
into the ruby eye of the Mekani cluster beast.   
  
When the light show was over, alarms blared all   
around the fighters, each warnings of the power drain   
coming just after a successful blast. Deck elevators   
lowered below the deck to retrieve deployable defenses   
for the inevitable attack from the Mekani survivors.   
  
Ranma, surprised he was lying on the sky deck, looked   
outward toward the Mekani web gate, and saw that the   
bulk of the spheroid was gone, but some of it, and all   
four legs, remained intact, and they were growing   
ever larger in his eyes.   
  
"Why... Hokuto...?" he muttered. Ranma forced his   
eyes shut, trying to contain himself. "Why did you   
have to go and die?!"   
  
"Here," one of the Sailor Senshi said, offering a   
gloved hand.   
  
Ranma stared upward in surprise. "It's you?"   
  
Sailor Jupiter nodded. "We're not out of the woods   
yet, you know, so we can use your help."   
  
"Sailor Jupiter!" Mars and Mercury exclaimed at   
once, both surprised.   
  
"Mind if I join in?" she asked.   
  
"Oh great, you're still walking," Mousse groaned.   
  
"Stuff it for later, Mousse," Ukyo suggested, putting   
a hand on his shoulder to stop him. She jabbed a thumb   
backward. "The Mekani are waiting."   
  
Almost forgotten by all, the battered form of   
Shizuka rose, supporting her stump arm with a ghostly,   
skeletal claw.   
  
"I... awaken," Deathclaw rumbled, eyes flaring white   
with malevolence.   
  
---   
  
Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis   
  
"Ah, I see you finally arrived," the cloaked man   
greeted as Sailor Moon and Kanna materialized on the   
ground below him. He kept one shimmering hand held   
over the crystal ball in his lap, with the image of the   
battle on the Night Hammer's sky deck raging within.   
  
Sailor Moon looked up toward her nemesis, and handed   
Shizuka's prism over to Kanna. "Death Phantom... how   
can I allow you to ascend the Throne of Chaos?"   
  
Wiseman merely laughed. "You no longer have it   
within your power to stop me, not with your attentions   
divided between me and Vizier."   
  
"We got that part already," Kanna snapped   
impatiently. "Did you ever think to consider what   
might happen to Earth because of your ambition?"   
  
"I would ask you the same," the old man replied,   
raising his shimmering hands to his dark hood.   
Grasping the sides with both hands, he threw it back.   
  
Sailor Moon gasped. "That's... Dr. Taydome...?"   
  
"In appearance alone, I assure you," replied   
Wiseman, his voice emerging from the preserved body's   
lips. "Earth no longer concerns me."   
  
"How can you say that?" demanded the Crystal Spider.   
"We thought you wanted us to change the world."   
  
"I do," he confirmed. "But, as you know, you proved   
to be an interesting diversion to any attention that   
could've been placed on me. In silence I've slowly   
gathered the residual energies released from your   
little war, all the while fueling the Black Crystal   
and allowing it to grow in the darkness from which it   
was born. Carefully I concealed my true intentions   
from all of you, allowing each of you to believe what   
you wished most convenient. I merely pointed you in   
the general direction; each of you made your choices on   
your own."   
  
"You've won already, Death Phantom," Sailor Moon said   
finally. "You've achieved your grand ascension... so   
what are you going to do with your Black Crystal now?"   
  
"If he wanted to destroy us he would've done that a   
long time ago," Kanna noted.   
  
"Your uses to me have not come to an end just yet,"   
he admitted. "The sampling your comrades fight now is   
only that, and I intend to reaffirm the seat of power   
in Tau Ceti by taking this moon with me home."   
  
"You saved up all your black energy to move Nemesis   
back to Tau Ceti," Moon realized. "And in that way you   
restore the world belonging to the disciples of Chaos.   
It's how you intend to complete the prophecy... but the   
Mekani are also there. You still need us to fight them   
for you, because all the energy you've saved is going   
to be used in moving this world."   
  
"Consider this, Sailor Moon," the puppeteer said   
grimly, throwing his hood back over his head. "The   
Mekani need a strong foothold in this galaxy in order   
to continue their expansion. They will ensure their   
survival in these fringe worlds before continuing, and   
they will return even when you defeat their advanced   
party. They have been in Tau Ceti for quite some time,   
and it is their closest staging ground to attack your   
world. The Mekani Hive Masters know of your new Earth,   
a world ripe for their harvest, and its untapped   
planets, filled to the brim with rich resources. They   
will not rest until they know they can safely hold   
their empire in this galaxy, and we must join the   
myriad others who oppose their ruthless expansion   
across the universe."   
  
"The war is far from over," he finished. "This is   
only the beginning."   
  
---   
  
Sky Deck, Night Hammer   
  
Silence fell in the artificial atmosphere surrounding   
the Night Hammer, and each of its defenders stood or   
lay on the deck, exhausted, amidst the torn, steel   
piles of broken Mekani warriors that made it through   
the defense lines.   
  
Slowly, one-by-one, each of the defenders rose back   
to their feet. Ranma could barely lift himself, and   
he paused momentarily to kick away one of a warrior's   
steel, insectile legs.   
  
"It's over," he declared.   
  
However, a presence loomed behind him, overshadowing   
him with an oppressive, unliving force. A chill ran   
up the martial artist's spine.   
  
The possessed Shizuka landed a good hit in the back,   
sending Ranma sprawling across the deck. "For you,   
traitor, it most certainly is," Deathclaw finished.   
  
"Hey!" cried Sailor Uranus. "What do you think   
you're doing?"   
  
"We haven't settled our previous business," Cinder   
answered, gathering his cloak around himself, walking   
to join the priestess. "The Mekani threat may be over   
for now...." His mechanical eye whirred, focusing on   
a possible target.   
  
"You guys are crazy," Ukyo muttered, leaning on her   
spatula. "We surrendered."   
  
"I will never surrender," Deathclaw proclaimed,   
clenching his ghostly fist tightly, white wisps   
trailing from his fingers. "Too many have died for   
this miserable world called Earth, and for nothing."   
  
"Shizuka," Sailor Mars said, "the war's over."   
  
"It's never over!" Mousse cried defiantly, standing   
next to the possessed priestess.   
  
"Don't you think you did a good enough job already?"   
asked Sailor Jupiter. "The more you guys push for   
revenge, the more people die! More good people like   
Hokuto would die; is that what you want?"   
  
"What I want is immaterial," Cinder growled. He   
clenched a fist. "What you humans should be   
considering is the fact that the Mekani will not give   
up. Nor shall we."   
  
"They're too caught-up with the dead to think about   
the living," Neptune saw. "You've been fighting so   
long that you lost sight of what really matters."   
  
"Look, you guys," Ukyo said, "I'm just tired. Can't   
we just leave it at that?"   
  
"Not until their grievances are settled," Ryoga   
noted. "It can't, as long as they keep hating."   
  
"This stupid hating has to end," Ranma said bluntly.   
  
But Sypha shook her head. The black sorcerer stood   
up tall, but did not move to join her fellows.   
"Cinder, Mousse, Shizuka... we can't go on anymore."   
  
"Why not?" demanded Deathclaw, snarling. "The Sailor   
Senshi must pay for their misdeeds!"   
  
"And yet," the black sorcerer pointed out, "there's   
a ring of truth in their words. How many more of us   
have to die until we're satisfied? How many of the   
Sailor Senshi have we actually killed? None; all this   
war is doing is dwindling our own numbers, and if we   
all die, no one will remember. I can't allow that."   
  
Cinder lowered his arm, hanging it in defeat. "The   
memory of my lord and Miranda will not be served their   
due if I perish now."   
  
"And Shampoo," agreed Mousse.   
  
"Bah," scoffed the ghost dragon. "Hokuto and Mizuki   
knew the consequences of their actions, and you expect   
me to live for them? How foolish do you think I am?"   
  
Everyone shielded their eyes as a brief flash of   
light burst over the possessed girl's position,   
and in the time it took for everyone's eyes to adjust   
Shizuka was being held fast at her arms. In a strong   
grip the boa constrictor Thanatos, recently teleported   
in, bound the girl.   
  
"Release me!" Deathclaw demanded furiously.   
  
"Sorry, Shizuka," they heard Shion say, "but the   
snake wants you to stop, too."   
  
"You, too?"   
  
"Shizuka, think about it," the mercenary continued.   
"I almost lost you once before. You almost lost me.   
Now tell me, do you really want to go through all that   
all over again?"   
  
The girl's eyes flared more brilliantly as Deathclaw   
gazed down at Thanatos' small head. The snake flicked   
his forked tongue quickly, and he stared straight into   
his partner's eyes.   
  
Shizuka lowered her head, defeated. "Very well," she   
said, resuming control over her body, "you win."   
  
---   
  
She felt light as a feather even as she descended   
from the skies. Sailor Venus immersed herself in her   
surreal surroundings, of an endless blue sky, the   
fluffy, white clouds passing as she descended toward   
the unseen Earth below. Sparkles of light trailed as   
she descended, and warmness enveloped her; a warmness   
she had not felt since her heart crystal was forcibly   
taken from her body.   
  
It was almost time to wake up, she knew.   
  
Two translucent wisps appeared suddenly, matching her   
descent path. Although they were of shapeless form   
Venus recognized the spirits of the departed. Brother   
and sister exchanged serene smiles between each other,   
then faced the Sailor Senshi.   
  
Kodachi Kuno mouthed a word, but no voice could be   
heard.   
  
"Go on," she told the Kuno siblings. "You guys   
earned a well-deserved rest."   
  
No sooner had she spoken those words Venus felt the   
warmness envelop her completely, and the weight of the   
world tugged at her. She opened her eyes, realizing   
that she was lying down, likely on a bed, judging from   
the soft texture. Her vision blurred, as her eyes had   
not functioned for quite a while, but it took only a   
few moments to recognize the face of Neo Queen Serenity   
and the other Sailor Senshi.   
  
"Welcome home," the queen greeted warmly.   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
With full confidence Ayame could say that she would   
never stand alone.   
  
"The charges are as follows," a voice echoed in the   
great hall. "High treason against the planet Earth and   
its peoples. Disturbance of the peace. The willful   
destruction of property, of a monetary value in excess   
of...."   
  
As the arbiters read off the list of charges against   
her and the Fenril Knights Ayame glanced to each side,   
to the others who stood by her in the great hall,   
awaiting judgement by the people who ruled the world.   
The trial was meant to be swift, but in the light of   
the thwarted Mekani attack Neo Queen Serenity   
intervened, wishing to preside over the hearing   
herself. Although she unofficially supported her   
former enemy the queen made it clear that the ruling   
would be decided by the panel of judges, and not her   
own personal whim.   
  
In other words, whatever the five appointees decided,   
she would endorse their ruling. Ayame and the others   
had to accept that despite their machinations to   
manipulate the outcome.   
  
The regional governors appointed the judges, who came   
from all walks of life and represented different   
peoples from around the world. Although they were   
supposed to be impartial in matters presented before   
them, there was no avoiding the fact that each and   
every one of them was affected by the Black Moon War   
that came before, and they would likely come down hard   
on their successors.   
  
"The number of casualties is staggering," one judge   
said, in response to one listed charge.   
  
"On the other hand, how many of them actually died?"   
countered Kanna, and there was an uproar from the   
audience.   
  
"Order!" demanded the head judge. Directing   
attention to the floor he said, "I will have you remain   
silent at this time, do you understand?"   
  
"Perfectly," she answered.   
  
Ayame glanced toward the tactician standing at her   
right out of the corner of her eye, offering a slight   
smirk. Every word from her mouth was calculated   
precisely, and while it appeared to work against them   
on the surface the trial wasn't over yet; the poison   
has plenty of time to do its magic.   
  
She waited patiently as the list of charges was   
completed, and Ayame tallied them all up in her mind.   
If the bloodthirsty got their way the Fenril Knights   
would die at least thirteen times over... if only there   
were such a thing as a death penalty. No, the worst   
they could get was an eternal sentence of exile, which   
would land them back on Nemesis anyway. Either way,   
Ayame didn't care; one sentence was as severe as the   
other.   
  
It was the inevitable guilty sentence that urged   
Ayame to a 'no contest' on the charges; she had no wish   
to drag out a criminal trial for years on end, only to   
prove that she and her people were guilty of all   
charges. Each of them knew what they did, and they all   
accepted it; it came with losing a war.   
  
"Have you anything to say for yourselves before we   
rend sentence?" asked the head judge.   
  
Ayame's head glanced down to her left, then to the   
right, to the faces of those who stood as the remaining   
definite Fenril Knights. At the far left stood Ranma   
and Ryoga, the last-minute deserter and the early   
deserter, both who decided on their own to stand with   
the others despite their personal pardons from Neo   
Queen Serenity. Next was Ukyo, who appeared resigned   
to another period of exile, and lacked whatever cheer   
she usually possessed as a seller. Mousse stood with   
his head up and proud, with his recently-treated hands   
down at his side, as he refused to allow Neo Queen   
Serenity to heal them with her magic. They remained   
bandaged, but at least they would recover. Immediately   
to the left was Shion, who should have stayed in the   
hospital for observation, but he adamantly desired to   
stand with the others.   
  
To the right her comrades started with Kanna, who   
appeared extremely confident despite the odds stacked   
against her. Next was Higure, and the old man stared   
up and straight impassively, appearing quite bored   
with protocol of the judicial system. Beside him, the   
remaining three Fenril Knights, Sypha, Shizuka, and   
Cinder, were the only ones visibly bound. Each stood   
with glowing, green energy braces that kept their arms   
bound, and while Shizuka, despite having many bandages   
wound around her head, looked ready to explode, and   
Sypha looked cold and impassive, Cinder's expression   
could not be read at all. His mechanical eye was the   
only feature visible under his heavy hood, and while   
protocol would usually demand the removal of such his   
reptilian appearance startled more than one person.   
  
Ayame's eye caught sight of Shizuka's bandaged hand,   
the very hand that was destroyed in the previous   
battle. She was not privy to how it got restored, but   
whispers said Deathclaw regenerated it for her. It was   
more likely she let Neo Queen Serenity restore it.   
  
"You say," the salamander hissed, "that the   
casualties to your people are high?"   
  
"Would you like me to repeat the number?" asked the   
arbiter. "Three-billion lives!"   
  
"And how many of them perished during the course of   
this war?" he pressed. "I'll let you know, because   
surely, you don't have the answer. You count seven...   
all on our side. I count somewhere well beyond three-   
billion... humans and kami, slain by your defenders,   
the Sailor Senshi."   
  
"Oh yes," another judge said. "Your vaunted spirit   
people... who could not possibly exist."   
  
"And besides," added another, "the Sailor Senshi are   
not awaiting sentence, you are."   
  
"Human laws govern none who are not human," Sypha   
replied calmly. Her body wavered in a snake-like   
motion in place. "Yet since the kami are not people it   
is not murder. To humans murder is committed against   
fellow humans, no other."   
  
"Enough!" the head judge decided. "Your race may be   
indeterminate, but while you're in my courtroom you are   
governed by our laws."   
  
Ayame gave the two kami a stern look, and was pleased   
to see that they stood down.   
  
"Answer me this, though," Mousse said in a low tone,   
and it was definitely not a request. "You think this   
world doesn't need weapons-- or soldiers, for that   
matter-- to live. You think, just because world peace   
was handed to you on a silver platter that you can   
forget about the people who fight for it."   
  
"The era of war has been placed behind us," one of   
the panel replied. "In order to maintain peace and   
harmony we must prevent war from occurring again. We   
do commemorate those who worked hard to build this   
peace, but we have not forgotten them. Surely there   
must be more to life than fighting."   
  
"Yet," interrupted Ranma, "the whole point was that   
you couldn't defend yourselves from an attack as   
insignificant and controlled as ours."   
  
"And that's what your ineffectual Peacekeeper Corps   
is for," Kanna pointed out. She shook her head. "I   
witnessed them first-hand, and by golly they didn't   
have the means to stop something as simple as a   
seventeen-man uprising."   
  
"The methods of the Peacekeepers will undergo   
review," one judge assured her. "However, it does not   
excuse your actions for bringing this to light."   
  
"Maybe not," Shion replied, "but you must realize   
that attack comes in many different forms. True,   
disease and ecological disasters are a thing of the   
past, but there are some things that aren't. I hacked   
your world's highest-security computers in five   
minutes; what does that tell you about security? I'll   
tell you: it's a complacency problem."   
  
"And then there's the Mekani," added Ukyo. "Your   
laws and edicts work fine here, maybe... but they   
don't protect you from outsiders like them. You saw   
the battle with your own eyes; if it wasn't for us you   
guys would be running from those locusts."   
  
"If it wasn't for you people the invasion never would   
have happened!" shouted someone from the audience.   
  
"The Silver Crystal protects us all!" another cried.   
  
"That same crystal didn't protect you from the   
Mekani!" Ryoga shouted. "WE DID!!"   
  
Another wave passed through the crowd, and order was   
demanded yet again.   
  
"Bickering fools," Shizuka muttered, shaking her   
head. "You know nothing of hate and suffering, nor of   
peace and harmony." She attempted to raise her   
bandaged hand for all to see, but the bonds prevented   
her from doing so.   
  
"Watch your tongue, girl!" warned a judge.   
  
"All I see in this court is hate," the priestess of   
Genbu said, raising her voice for all to hear this   
time. "Hate directed at the world, and at a handful   
of people." She glanced upward toward Neo Queen   
Serenity. "Is this the world of purity you strove to   
create?"   
  
"It's likely that the radiating dark energy of the   
Black Crystal is encouraging their rage," Kanna noted.   
"Only this time, on a much larger scale and scope."   
  
"But you still can't lay blame on a stupid crystal,"   
Shizuka insisted. "No bauble can change human   
nature; that's why we're standing trial now."   
  
"You're right, though," conceded Ayame. "The people   
of the world have forgotten what it means to have peace   
and happiness... and in this utopia called Earth, all   
have taken peace for granted."   
  
"Peace has prevailed for so long, and conflicts have   
disappeared so much... that it's expected. It's the   
norm. There are no wars, violence, or battles. There   
is no disease, famine, flood, or earthquake. The   
status quo is maintained, day in and day out, and no   
one need worry of these threats."   
  
"The problem is, peace is not a right. It's not   
something that is handed to you; you have to work   
for it. The existence of the Sailor Senshi is proof   
of this; without them this world would've been   
destroyed... whether it be by the Black Moon, us, or   
the Mekani. Three trials by fire are more than enough   
prompting, isn't it?"   
  
"I'm not saying we were right," Ayame continued,   
finally feeling weary of the entire mess, "and I'm not   
saying you're wrong. We don't expect to be let go   
easily, and we'll accept whatever sentence the court   
rends with pleasure. Just know this, people of the   
world: you are not the center of the universe. In the   
scheme of the cosmos you are but a speck of dust to the   
sea of stars. Out there, beyond the darkness of the   
void, lies many others who think just as you do, and   
those who would conquer, like the Black Moon and the   
Mekani. So long as you continue to punish those who   
recognize this fact, and so long as you allow   
yourselves to be shepherded blindly by the Sailor   
Senshi, the worse it'll get when the bigger kids enter   
the playground. I can't stand to watch my fellow   
people destroy themselves."   
  
A curtain of silence fell upon the great hall, and   
Ayame was satisfied that no one vocally objected to   
what was likely her final speech. Her eyes passed down   
the panel of five judges, watching their expressions   
tear at a thought they never considered. Or, if they   
did, they were moved... one way or another.   
  
She closed her eyes, and lowered her head slightly   
while the judges passed eyes to one another, and the   
head judge finally spoke.   
  
"You, the Fenril Knights-- Ayame Mishima, Shion   
Kagami, Kanna Rajura, Ranma Saotome, Ryoga Hibiki,   
Ukyo Kuonji, Mousse, Higure Furui, Shizuka Minazuki,   
Sypha Blade, Cinder-- plead 'no contest' to all charges   
presented to this court. The sentences will be as   
follows."   
  
"Ranma Saotome," the head judge began, "in light of   
your actions in the defense of this world, and the   
support of its defenders, you are hereby pardoned of   
all charges against you. This pardon is extended also   
to Ryoga Hibiki, clearing both of you of any   
punishment due to your comrades."   
  
"Congratulations," Ukyo whispered to the two,   
although neither Ranma nor Ryoga looked particularly   
happy about the news.   
  
"It's only circumstance," Ryoga muttered.   
  
"Yeah, you guys're going to get hit big time," Ranma   
knew.   
  
"Cinder is to be exiled from the Earth immediately,   
pending process of justice. This sentence is extended   
also to Sypha Blade. The two of you have expressed   
complete belligerence toward the people of Earth, and   
its safety is in jeopardy so long as you continue to   
live on this world."   
  
"Bastards," hissed Shizuka.   
  
"You, Shizuka," the judge said, immediately   
singling-out the outburst, "are to be taken from these   
chambers pending process of justice, and exorcised of   
your inner demon, Deathclaw. Furthermore, pending the   
expected positive results of exorcism, you are to be   
exiled from the Earth for your crimes against   
humanity."   
  
The priestess's eyes narrowed. "You know even less   
than I thought," she said to herself, finding she has   
to contain her laughter.   
  
"As for the rest of you," he said, "the sentence is   
as follows: it is the recommendation of this court and   
Neo Queen Serenity to extend to each and every one of   
you to serve a term of community service of no less   
than twenty years. Failure to do so will result in   
prison time for an equal amount of time."   
  
"That's it?" Mousse said, blinking.   
  
"Although I never raised my hand to action," the old   
man Higure said, "I serve punishment of equal severity   
as my fellows."   
  
"The remaining Fenril allies and associates are to   
serve a term of community service of no less than ten   
years, under the same conditions as before." The head   
judge stared down at Ayame. "This court is adjourned."   
  
"About time," Sypha muttered, her ruby lips curving   
into a smile. She writhed in place, moving with the   
grace of a serpent as the energy bond surrounding her   
collapsed and clattered on the ground at her feet, much   
to the silenced surprise of the gathered people.   
  
Following suit, Cinder flexed his arms, and the bonds   
quickly burst into atoms, further silencing the hall.   
  
An invisible force merely cut the bond around   
Shizuka in two, allowing two halves of energy to   
clatter uselessly and dissipate on the floor, now that   
their circle is broken. She and Deathclaw chuckled in   
a low tone, and it sounded quite eerie to Ayame.   
  
"Know this, people of Earth," the black sorcerer   
said, raising her voice to echo all across the chamber.   
"You may dispose of us now, but it serves you no   
purpose to brush your fears under a rug. There are   
more of us out there, living among you, and someday   
they will rise up and challenge you, just as we did.   
When that time comes, you will either be prepared for   
change, or suffer the consequences."   
  
"Civilizations rise and fall," Shizuka/Deathclaw   
added. "I've witnessed thousands in this manner. Pray   
you don't repeat the same mistakes."   
  
"No matter what fate befalls us, I retain my honor   
and dignity," the robed salamander said. "It is a far   
cry to say that you could claim the same."   
  
"We bid you, the court, well," Sypha finished with a   
bow, and proceeded to exit the hall unhindered,   
followed by Cinder, then Shizuka.   
  
One after another the Fenril Knights filed out of the   
courtroom, escorted by Peacekeeper officers, leaving   
a very strong impression on the minds of the people.   
Ayame allowed herself to smile, knowing that this   
calculated maneuver would serve to bolster their   
already-legendary status.   
  
The last the public eye would see the Fenril Knights   
marching out of the courtroom, victorious even in   
defeat, as the finest warriors in history.   
  
---   
  
Ayame was pleased that the kangaroo court was   
dispensed with as the PKs lead the remaining Fenril   
Knights to another room, a small meeting room compared   
to the great hall they exited. Each one of them took   
a seat at the table, with each of the Sailor Senshi   
opposing them on the other side. Ayame took her seat   
at the head of the table, and waited patiently as Neo   
Queen Serenity entered the chamber, and took her own   
seat at the opposing head.   
  
"The sentences stand," the world monarch declared,   
setting the base on the table. "Some of you suffer a   
harsh punishment," she nodded toward the kami, "and   
some of you may have come off easy," she nodded toward   
Ranma and Ryoga, the deserters. "What I am about to   
tell you does not leave this room. All present are   
entrusted to this information which you many not share   
with anyone other than yourselves. Any information   
that falls into public hands will be denied outright."   
  
"It's the PKs," Kanna knew, looking around and noting   
all the Peacekeeper officers were still present.   
  
The queen nodded. "What has to be determined yet is   
how each of you serve out your sentences. On the one   
hand, you can live on Nemesis. This will make you part   
of an expedition headed out to Tau Ceti to ascertain   
the threat of the Mekani in that system. Since Nemesis   
is on its retreating orbit it will serve as a sort of   
base of operations and launch point against the Mekani   
enemy, and any of Pharaoh 90's spawn, if they yet   
live."   
  
"Or you could remain here on Earth. After much   
consideration we have decided that the Peacekeeper   
Corps, under its current management, needs to be   
reworked into a more effective force. To that end all   
officers have been relieved of their duties, and we   
are forming a more efficient, invisible group."   
  
"So what you're doing is removing the PKs from the   
public eye, while at the same time continuing the   
program and making it stronger," Kanna interpreted.   
"I'll bet it means they'll have greater freedoms from   
now on?"   
  
"Precisely," answered Sailor Mercury. "There's no   
point to Peacekeepers if they can't keep the peace."   
  
"On the other hand, in a world like this, why would   
we need Peacekeepers in the first place?" Mars said,   
posing the question rather than asking for an answer.   
"We created them after the Black Moon War, but it has   
proven unnecessary."   
  
"But the threat of outsiders still looms over the   
Earth," continued Uranus. "The purpose of the   
expedition is to stop the enemy from invading again,   
but while we're away someone needs to defend Earth."   
  
"And that's where the new Peacekeepers come in,"   
Jupiter finished.   
  
Ayame brooded over the revelation quietly, then   
spoke after careful consideration. "If I understand   
what you're saying you're forming a team armed with   
illegal accessories. Likely including hardware with   
power on the magnitude of the Dead End Buster."   
  
"How would you go about it?" asked Neo Queen   
Serenity.   
  
"Well, I... wait a minute. You've got to be   
joking."   
  
"How come you get all the good jobs, huh?" Shion   
said, jabbing ribs even if he was nowhere near Ayame's   
chair.   
  
"Look at it this way," suggested Sailor Venus.   
"Whichever way you go you'll disappear from the public   
eye, and at the same time continue working toward the   
betterment of Earth. It's not enough that there be   
defenders of the planet, but that they are prepared for   
any situation possible. You guys are very capable of   
doing this."   
  
"It's a bit much, don't you think?" said Ukyo,   
appearing skeptical. "I'm just a cook."   
  
"Retirement sounds enticing," Higure agreed.   
  
"I hardly see a choice in the matter," Cinder   
observed. "The only logical course would be the   
Nemesis expedition."   
  
"I agree," Sypha said. She looked directly across   
the table. "I have no wish to live on a world where I   
am not welcome, or to be reminded of the atrocities   
again. Our fellow kami will rise up on their own when   
they feel it's the time. I'll just have to direct my   
wrath elsewhere in the meantime."   
  
"We two are going along as well," Neptune voiced,   
indicating herself and Uranus, who nodded. "It's our   
duty to defend this system from outside invaders like   
the Mekani."   
  
"Yeah, so who else wants to go?" asked Ranma. "I   
sure ain't."   
  
"Neither am I," agreed Ryoga. "Still, I don't think   
I'll be much help to the Peacekeepers, either. I just   
want to live the rest of my life quietly."   
  
"Huh, if only you could remain complacent in all that   
peace and quiet," Mousse snorted, folding his arms. "I   
know I couldn't."   
  
"I need some time to think about it," Kanna said,   
seemingly lost in thought. "It's all a bit sudden,   
you know."   
  
"This sucks," Shizuka muttered. "Just when everybody   
was back together again, everyone's splitting up   
again, too." Her head turned in the direction of Neo   
Queen Serenity. "What's the big idea, breaking us all   
up?"   
  
"Shizu... no one's going anywhere," Shion tried to   
convince her, but his words fell on deaf ears.   
  
"I've lost a family coming into this war," she   
explained. "I'm not about to lose another one coming   
out of it, too. Unlike the rest of you I've lost more   
coming out than going in. Mizuki's gone forever, and   
now even Hokuto's gone."   
  
"C'mon, Shizuka," Ranma said, "we've got our own   
families to go back to, too, y'know. And don't you   
have one, too?"   
  
Ayame cast the martial artist a glance. "Let her   
take her time," she suggested. "She's still plenty of   
time to figure out what to do, considering nobody's   
going to wrench Deathclaw out anytime soon."   
  
"Shizuka," Neo Queen Serenity said patiently, "there   
are those back home who would like to see you."   
  
"Oh yeah?" the priestess of Genbu asked. "Who?"   
  
---   
  
Interview 8   
  
"Geez, we've talked this long? How long has it been   
since I first came here? It seemed like ages ago, but   
in fact it's only been a few hours."   
  
"But still, I think Neo Queen Serenity was right; I   
do have a family to go back to, and the thing is, I   
never realized it. I was so caught-up in losing my old   
family that I was blinded to what was happening. In   
that battle, that war... the Fenril Knights was my   
family. They were my friends, my brothers, my   
sisters, my mothers, my fathers... bound by common goal   
and purpose, and divided in thought."   
  
"That family is now gone, replaced by a new one...   
the one I discarded long ago. You know it sounds   
cheesy, and I think it is, too, but still... seeing you   
after all these years, little brother... I've not seen   
you since the first year of your life, when I was taken   
away. I so wish I was part of your life."   
  
"You think it was hard to realize you had a long-lost   
sister... how bad do you think it was for me? I knew   
of you, and the other two girls, and I watched all   
three of you grow up from a distance, unable to talk or   
feel anything. Yet you say you had vague memories of   
me, in dreams or something, of an older sister that   
once was. Childhood memories are strange like that."   
  
"It's not crying, you dork, it's these onions. Ah,   
screw it, I don't care anymore. I'm strong."   
  
"I missed you."   
  
"You have no idea how I longed to touch these hands,   
to hear you speak to me. It's something that's been   
eating my heart ever since I became a priestess. I   
really wish you could've met Mizuki; you would've found   
her sweet. She is always with me, and she's the big   
sister I never had. Maybe I could do that for you."   
  
"Well, you know there's still plenty of time to talk   
things over and all... I still haven't made up my mind   
about Nemesis. Master Cinder and Lady Sypha accepted   
almost immediately to join the expedition, seeing how   
they have little desire to live on this Earth. And   
then guys like Ranma, Ryoga, Ukyo, Higure, and Akane   
immediately decided they wanted to stay on Earth. For   
the others, though... they still have to make up their   
minds."   
  
"Well, they're my friends; I do care. Love and   
appreciate them dearly, before you miss them."   
  
"Kanna has a tough choice for herself; she's gotten   
various offers from many institutions to become things   
ranging from a college instructor to a high-ranking   
official in the newly-revamped Peacekeeper Corps. On   
the other hand she's also got the side of her that's   
begging for the challenge of beating the Mekani, so she   
may go with the expedition."   
  
"Mousse really has no reason to stay, and her mentor   
Cologne isn't going to force him either way. His way   
is to fight, and he wants to take Shampoo with him   
always, wherever he goes. Thing is, he doesn't know   
which way the road will take him yet, whether its to   
the PKs or the expedition."   
  
"And Ayame... she was offered by Neo Queen Serenity   
herself to become the new director of the PKs, judging   
from her ability in the last war... and to rectify the   
general ineffectiveness of the current director and his   
administration. If our side is any indication it   
would be something she's well-suited for. I really   
doubt she'd be willing to go on the expedition, so the   
question is whether or not she wants to take the job."   
  
"Shion was also offered a high position on the PKs,   
but he turned it down, citing he prefers to retain his   
freelancer status. He also added that he was quite   
willing to join the expedition with Dumas and the   
other weapons technicians, provided on my own   
decision... god I hate him. Does he really have to be   
so blatant about it? Oh well, at least there's still   
time to change HIS mind...."   
  
"I'm not sure what to do yet, actually. Master   
Higure says I should follow my heart, and decide where   
I want to spend my life, now that my wings are free to   
fly. Thing is, I don't have to take responsibility for   
what I was trained for anymore, and I don't have   
anything left to do here, so I might go just for that.   
On the other hand, I want to stay with you for a while,   
and help out... or something. And on the next hand,   
Master Cinder and Lady Sypha could use the company;   
they'd get in trouble without me. Deathclaw says it's   
up to me, but he'd prefer to go where the action is."   
  
"Still, I've got time for you guys... and maybe I can   
forgive Mom and Dad while I'm at it. Sure is funny how   
all this works out, doesn't it?"   
  
---   
  
Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Neo Queen Serenity gazed out at the stars from the   
high balcony of the reconstructed Crystal Palace, and   
saw no shooting stars in the sky. The lights in the   
city below marked its usual activity, now that the   
scar of war was obliterated from view. Life could be   
considered 'back to normal,' but the monarch preferred   
to think of it as 'better.'   
  
"What kind of ruler would I be if I did not listen to   
the voice of my subjects?" she asked herself, her   
question unheard by other ears. "Perhaps that was the   
reason the war needed to be fought."   
  
"Or perhaps it was because we are fulfilling our   
destinies?" asked another voice.   
  
She was no longer surprised by the sudden appearances   
and disappearances of the last Child of Chaos. "Is it   
time?" she asked.   
  
"I would deign not to see you again," admitted   
Wiseman, his reflection in the crystal wall behind the   
queen. "Our goals and ideals are too different to   
reconcile. Now that the Black Crystal is whole and   
ready we can speed its return to Tau Ceti and return it   
to the orbit of its parent world. The tenth planet of   
this system will be no more... and the throne world of   
Chaos will be reborn."   
  
"This is how it must be, then," Neo Queen Serenity   
concluded. "One world cast in the light of the Silver   
Crystal, the other forged in the darkness of the Black   
Crystal. Yet, there can be harmony of light and   
darkness."   
  
"That harmony is in a world apart," Wiseman agreed.   
"Both cannot exist together, but must exist nonetheless   
even if apart. If destiny would have it we will never   
meet again, and let it be known that I prefer it as   
such."   
  
"Strange," the queen said, "because I have come to   
understand the darkness the more I speak of it with   
you."   
  
"Tread not the border in balance," warned the old   
man. "I have no more desire to learn of the light   
than you of darkness."   
  
"Then let us part enlightened, Death Phantom," Neo   
Queen Serenity declared, turning around to face the   
hooded figure in the crystal for the first time. "In   
understanding we usher another era of peace and   
harmony... that in the eternal struggle our ancestors   
fought. Farewell."   
  
Wiseman nodded silently, his image vanishing from   
view. "Perhaps," he said cryptically, before   
vanishing completely.   
  
---   
  
It took a great deal of effort, but the cycle of   
destruction finally drew to a close. The engineer of   
the design stood back away from the globe depicting   
this parting between mortal enemies, for what they   
believed to be the last time.   
  
That, as Death Phantom said, was an uncertainty.   
  
The prophecy of the Chaos Children has been   
fulfilled; if not literally, as the last succeeded his   
father by process of elimination. It was likely a   
simple matter at that point to remove the remaining   
spawn of Pharaoh 90 as potential threats to authority,   
then oust the Mekani invaders from their foothold in   
Tau Ceti and any other invaded system.   
  
Five would emerge from the fall of Chaos, and the   
father shall be avenged. Yes, it definitely wasn't a   
literal fulfillment. It was something only the Chaos   
Children understood; the prophecy referred to a rite of   
succession to the father's power rather than revenge.   
Revenge was only an incidental motivation that all five   
of them shared. It was only natural that the successor   
chose to return to the ancestral home.   
  
It was exactly as Death Phantom said it would   
happen, as the co-conspirator to his rise to power had   
to admit. The predictable age of the prophecy has   
drawn into a close, opening up for uncertainty and   
endless possibility by all players. It was an age   
which she welcomed.   
  
"There's a lot of work ahead," Sailor Pluto said to   
herself, walking amongst the mists surrounding the Gate   
of Time, alone in solitude. It was hard enough that   
she had to discard her previous incarnation to get this   
far, but it was necessary in order to understand the   
true meaning of the prophecy. Her time spent captured   
by Death Phantom did not go wasted at all, and without   
her guidance he would never have found out how to use   
the Fenril Knights to his advantage; it was something   
only an observer of time would have noticed.   
  
"And I will always be there, watching," she vowed.   
  
Pluto vanished into the mists, deciding it was time   
to resume her duties as guardian of the Gate of Time.   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Thank you for reading!   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	13. Endgame, part 1-- Mechanical Plague

Souls of Fire #13: Endgame, part 1--   
Mechanical Plague   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Darkness   
  
"Where am I? Who am I?"   
  
"There is darkness all around me... I can see   
nothing, even though I stretch my hand out in front of   
my face. The absence of light... is this what darkness   
truly is?"   
  
"But wait... there is a light. I see it, in the   
distance. It's a faint light, but it's calling to me,   
to come home...."   
  
"Home. Did I really have a home? Yes... once... but   
it was destroyed... swept aside with a bygone age. I   
no longer have a home. This darkness is my home, but   
it is no true home."   
  
"Then it must be the light. The light is my only   
home now. I will reach that light, even if it takes a   
thousand years...."   
  
---   
  
Office of the CEO, Peacekeeper HQ   
  
She lowered her cup of steaming coffee, fresh from   
the pot, as she read the data pad report handed to her   
only minutes ago. Ayame Mishima, the Chief Executive   
of the Earth's Peacekeeper Corps, lowered her head   
slowly, setting the data pad on the table. She shook   
her head wearily; the contents of the report only   
confirmed the storm on the horizon.   
  
It was forty years ago that the Mekani last attempted   
to invade the Sol System, in a large expedition meant   
to conquer Earth while its defenses were down.   
Although the expeditionary force was annihilated to   
the last of the spheroid, spider-legged creatures, the   
Mekani were known to be holing themselves in other   
solar systems in this galaxy as they expanded from   
their own home galaxy.   
  
Ayame recalled that her former terrorist   
organization-- the Fenril Knights-- was split up, in   
part to utilize the talents of such a crew, to met out   
punishment, and to remove several dangerous threats to   
the Crystal Court's power. The two kami, Sypha and   
Cinder, were forcibly removed from Earth, and sent into   
exile to Nemesis. Shizuka, too, was sentenced to   
exile, but thanks to a legal loophole, she could have   
remained on Earth if she so chose, but the priestess   
of Genbu elected to "keep Sypha and Cinder out of   
trouble." The Master of Hidden Weapons, Mousse, also   
left out of his own free will, as he decided that he   
could not remain on this bizarre world of Neo Queen   
Serenity's. Lastly, the master tactician Kanna Rajura   
left for Nemesis as well, primarily to join the   
expedition to the Mekani footholds.   
  
Their former benefactor, Wiseman, took Nemesis with   
him to the Mekani territory, and along with him a   
volunteer force residing on Nemesis-- among them two   
of the Sailor Senshi, Uranus and Neptune. Although   
no communication came from beyond the solar system, it   
was apparent that Nemesis reached its destination when   
astronomers detected a new, dark star in the heavens.   
  
It was during the forty years of no communication   
that Ayame had the chance to make the PKs her own, just   
as she did the Fenril Knights. The first few months   
were turbulent, as the layout left by Kanna was quite   
confusing at first-- it was difficult to decipher her   
plan, but once Ayame was through she had to admit it   
was a brilliant plan. She wished she could have   
figured it out sooner, with the help of her old friend   
Shion Kagami... but he, too, would not take part in the   
PKs. Instead, the mercenary hacker, amidst the   
confusing period, took it upon himself to reestablish   
the underworld organization Section.   
  
Ayame knew Shion was riding on fumes, having been   
left behind on Earth while the girl he was interested   
in was exiled off-world. Although he wouldn't admit   
it Ayame knew Shion felt something toward Shizuka, and   
her sudden departure left a great wound in him. The   
day he walked out of her office the last time she could   
almost see the sadness behind his tinted glasses.   
Perhaps it was in a lost love's memory that he turned   
back toward terrorism.   
  
The secretive organization known as Section existed   
for a great long time before the change of Earth, but   
it collapsed in the purge of the Black Moon Family's   
ancestors. Ayame's uncle was a member of the group of   
technocrats, as Section was obsessed with technology.   
Shion himself was never a member, but his own group,   
the Inner Circle, was often contracted by Ayame in   
proxy of her uncle to perform certain tasks.   
  
This new Section, however, resembled the Inner Circle   
more than the Section of old. Shion Kagami founded   
his tightly-knit group on the basis of controlling   
information, as befit his "information is power"   
philosophy. It did not end there, however, as Shion   
fundamentally disagreed with the way Earth was run,   
even though he recognizes the good in it, and in that   
regard his Section is known to be behind several   
terrorist actions around the world-- be they rogue   
humans or kami hiding in the shadows. Faster than   
Ayame could settle into her role as head of the PKs   
Shion united most of the underworld factions that   
worked against the Crystal Court and the World   
Parliament-- what they believe to be a puppet   
government to throw off critics.   
  
In some respects, they were right, Ayame had to   
admit. In the guise of allowing humans to make   
decisions on their own Neo Queen Serenity still retains   
control, as her ideals were forced on the populace   
easily, and thus her influence strong. People were   
too blinded by her innate good intention to see there   
were any problems at all.   
  
In order to maintain such an illusion, the PKs   
remained a secret organization; very few outside their   
number knew of its existence, or even the existence of   
the terrorist Section, thanks to their hard work. It   
was a secret war being waged underground while the   
people of Earth carried on in their happiness, but   
someone had to do it.   
  
Unfortunately, the report that lay on her desk would   
likely shatter the illusion, and it was unlikely that   
anyone on Earth was oblivious to the danger by now.   
  
Six city-sized, wedge-shaped warships appeared   
from hyperspace, quickly orbiting around Earth at   
strategic points around the Earthsphere-- two at the   
poles, and four at equidistant points along the middle   
ring called the Equator. The spacecraft could not be   
identified, as they were not encountered before, but   
the occupants were broadcasting signals compatible to   
those used by the PKs... and likely Section as well.   
So far her men deciphered very important pieces of   
information-- ones that proved that they had previous   
contact with humans.   
  
The ship holding position over the North Pole was   
broadcasting itself as the Scylla, and its opposite on   
the South Pole was appropriately named Charybdis. On   
the Equator were the Basilisk, the Griffin, the Kraken,   
and the Hydra-- all of them were names of mythological   
beasts. Yet, what nagged Ayame most was one myth in   
particular; the adage of "between Scylla and Charybdis"   
came to mind, and that meant whoever it was commanding   
the fleet above was intending to sandwich Earth.   
  
It did little good that their only functioning   
warship, the Night Hammer, was far out at the Jupiter   
colonies, assisting with colonization of the moons. It   
would make an invaluable asset now, but without their   
own gate technology the Night Hammer would not make it   
to Earth in time to stop whatever beating Scylla and   
Charybdis had in store for them.   
  
And that, Ayame believed, was a calculated action.   
"They knew the Night Hammer was their only threat," she   
thought aloud, "and just rushed past them, just to   
pound on us before we knew what hit us."   
  
She heard a knock on her old-style, heavy oak door.   
"Come in."   
  
The woman that served as her second-in-command   
entered, not looking any older than she had forty years   
ago, but if Ayame glanced into a mirror, she could say   
the same for herself. Her second, like the rest of the   
PKs, wore no uniform, in order to easily hide   
themselves among the masses. Dressing casually with a   
clean white jacket and matching pants, and her long   
hair tied back, Ukyo Kuonji appeared quite the   
professional lady-killer-- if only she were after that   
effect.   
  
"I see you've read the report," Ukyo said, nodding   
her head quickly in greeting. "I already see the worry   
lines on your face."   
  
"You'd think, after forty years," Ayame began, "that   
nothing could surprise me anymore." She shook her   
head. "They've got to be the Mekani."   
  
"That's what I thought, but we've never seen them use   
actual ships before. That's only something we'd use   
because we'd get spaced; the Mekani don't have that   
problem."   
  
"Unless, of course, the ships also serve as their   
factory satellites," Ayame pointed out. "The last we   
knew they were slow as shit, but these things dropped   
into orbit like that." She snapped her fingers.   
  
"They got the others," Ukyo decided. "That's the   
only explanation."   
  
The Chief Executive nodded, knowing her second was   
referring to the Nemesis expedition. "But that still   
doesn't explain why they'd go through all this trouble   
to make human ships. Heck, they're even broadcasting   
on the same frequencies, using the same type of codes."   
  
Ukyo shook her head. "I refuse to believe that."   
  
Ayame nodded in understanding. It was their   
unspoken understanding-- one that would imply that the   
expedition betrayed Earth to the enemy. Both Ayame and   
Ukyo knew the members of the expedition well, and both   
refused to believe that they would sell out the world   
they tried to save from Neo Queen Serenity.   
  
The former okonomiyaki seller turned to leave. "In   
any case, we can't sit here and wait for them to come   
to us; I'm going to try and figure out something from   
my end, and I suggest you do the same."   
  
Wordlessly, Ukyo disappeared, shutting the door   
behind her, leaving the Chief Executive to her own   
thoughts. She smiled slightly. "My end, huh?"   
  
She quickly made her way back to her desk, pushing   
her chair back, and leaned over the top of the polished   
wood surface. Ayame punched and held down a key on her   
private phone. "Get me in touch with Section Inner   
Circle."   
  
---   
  
Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress   
  
"Well, well, well," Shion Kagami stated plainly, a   
slight hint of amusement in his voice. Ayame, her   
face displayed on the screen, with the office as her   
backdrop, reflected completely off the hacker's   
reflection-tint glasses. He sat back in his captain's   
chair, hands folded in his lap. "Fancy seeing your   
face again."   
  
Ayame had not aged a year, he noted, and neither had   
her methods. "You know just as well as I about the six   
warships."   
  
"What about them?" he asked. The girl wouldn't go   
through so much trouble to compromise her office's   
security, knowing what Shion could do with a channel   
connection, unless she was desperate. Unlike Shion,   
Ayame did not have the know-how, nor the resources, to   
quintuple-screen communications channels, and that was   
only the basic layer of Section's security. Unlike the   
PKs, no one got in or out of Section unless Shion   
wanted them to. For that matter, most of his   
operatives had no idea to his identity, much less knew   
where the Inner Circle was located. Only a handful,   
including Ayame, knew the whole truth.   
  
It was a direct mirror of the original Section, save   
it had Shion's touch to it. The old Section Director   
would have been proud, had she remained on Earth, or   
remembered being Madame Director at all.   
  
In the same vein, the operatives knew Shion only as   
Master Director.   
  
"It's time we put aside our petty differences," Ayame   
stated, getting directly to the point. "This forty-   
year-old game can't possibly compare to what those...   
things up there can do to us."   
  
Shion raised his index fingers to his lips, showing   
interest. "I see."   
  
"Shion, we were allies once, in the past," the Chief   
Executive continued. "We worked as a great team then,   
and we can do great things together now. Our old team   
may be gone, but right now... I need you."   
  
The Director snorted in amusement. "Really, Ayame...   
is that all you've got to say?" His expression   
brightened at the sound of her gasp-- she knew she was   
beaten before she even started. "If you break down and   
confess to your love for me, then you're wasting your   
time; that only works in Anime. This is real life. I   
don't give a crap about fairy-tales anymore. And the   
reality is this: in the forty years you've administered   
the PKs, Neo Queen Serenity and her puppet government   
have done nothing-- absolutely nothing-- by which to   
improve their lots in life. They depend solely on you   
to defend Earth, but thanks to our friends up there,   
the truth is you couldn't deal with anything more   
threatening than me. You couldn't do it because you're   
simply an administrator; you depended way too much on   
the rest of us back during the Fenril War."   
  
"Think about it, Ayame; Kanna left your organization   
because it was boring. People like her are brilliant   
and all, but even brilliant people need to exercise   
their minds sometimes. Imposing limits only hinders   
such free thoughts. And hell, I left because, even   
though we made a difference, the difference wasn't   
enough. The free flow of ideas has yet to return to   
this frozen world, and you know this, too. Your queen   
is still back-pedaling to the Stone Age; Elysium fails   
if there comes another who does not share its ideals.   
Yet you ask me to join you. What you should be asking   
is if you can join ME."   
  
By this time Ayame's face reddened, flushed with   
anger and frustration. "You love-sick bastard, how   
could you? It doesn't matter who's ruling Earth; Earth   
is still Earth, and we must protect it! If it takes   
the loss of your girlfriend to shut you out, then there   
isn't hope for you."   
  
Shion chuckled to himself coldly as Ayame severed the   
connection. Had he the inclination he could have sent   
virii up her line, but it would prove counterproductive   
to his long-term goals. Ayame was still a useful pawn   
despite her gullibility.   
  
He stared at his open hands-- hands that had not aged   
in nearly forty years. Shion cursed his lot in life,   
wondering when he would actually enter his sixties in   
appearance-- he definitely felt the age on the inside.   
It was a torture that was almost too much to bear--   
almost topping the one of losing... her.   
  
Shizuka tormented the Director's thoughts every free   
chance she got, and Shion believed this was a sure sign   
he was in love with her. He could see her innocent   
smile, hear her confused, curious voice, could feel   
her soft skin in his hand. Shion's thoughts would   
never replay their harsh parting-- only the wonderful   
memories shared.   
  
It was far too easy for her to shatter his heart and   
soul, and many times Shion lay prone in bed, trying to   
drive the specter from his thoughts. It was in these   
nostalgic attacks alone that the Director showed   
weakness, and only the most senior members of his Inner   
Circle knew of it.   
  
He bitterly recalled that night of infamy. Shizuka   
called him on the phone, and they met at the deserted   
Shrine of the Four Gods. The place, and its people,   
meant everything to her, and it was all swept away by   
the new world order.   
  
She turned toward him, with malice in her eyes, and   
stated simply, "I hate you."   
  
Although there was definitely more to the event,   
Shion only cared to remember those three words that   
decided the rest of his life. No manner of convincing   
on his part-- or that of her siblings-- could dissuade   
her from going into exile.   
  
"I hate you."   
  
And, despite that, Shion could do nothing but pine   
over her. It was a weakness that would make him the   
joke of the Section organization.   
  
"You okay?"   
  
He recognized Ziel Kagura's voice instantly, and   
Shion snapped out of his reverie, sitting up in his   
captain's chair. "What of it?"   
  
"It looked like you were thinking of her again," Ziel   
replied. He whipped open a folding fan-- one used by   
dancers-- and waved air in his direction. As a martial   
artist Ziel was a trusted and valued friend, a member   
of Shion's original Inner Circle who did not take part   
in the Fenril War. Tracking down and luring Ziel out   
of seclusion was a difficult task even for Shion, as   
the inheritor of the Kagura martial art was constantly   
contemplating his own future in this world.   
  
"Yeah," Shion admitted.   
  
"Damn, it never goes away, does it?" Ziel replied,   
making statement of fact rather than a question. "In   
any case, the project is starting to stir again."   
  
'The project,' Shion mused. That alone was the key   
to Neo Queen Serenity's undoing, and it required   
constant attention and care. "Any problems yet?"   
  
"One of the boys was complaining about these weird   
dreams, but that's it," he reported. "Nothing serious   
yet, but I've upped the power on the inhibitor a notch,   
just in case."   
  
"Good. Can't have everyone yellin' and screamin'   
each night."   
  
Ziel pointed to one monitor in front of Shion. "And   
how about our friends up there?"   
  
"They've told me interesting things," the Director   
said plainly. "In fact, if we play our cards right, we   
can rid ourselves of Neo Queen Serenity and her Crystal   
Court in one fell swoop."   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
By now the world was in a state of panic, Neo Queen   
Serenity knew, as she observed the warship maintaining   
high orbit directly over Japan through her magical   
mirror. Although the mirror could not do the ship's   
scale justice, the spacecraft was as long as the length   
of Japan, and easily blocked out the light of the sun   
when it passed overhead at noon. Its wedge shape   
vaguely reminded her of the Night Hammer when it first   
emerged from its hidden dock under the sea, but this   
time there was no apparent cannon aiming at her home.   
  
No sooner had the secretive PKs began deploying their   
agents the warships orbiting at the Equator began to   
spread out toward the key zones around the world--   
including the World Parliament in Switzerland. As a   
show of confidence the world leaders elected to remain   
in their stronghold, despite warnings that attack can   
come at any moment.   
  
Although the enemy had yet to reveal themselves, much   
less their intention, Ayame and the PKs, as well as the   
Sailor Senshi, possessed their own opinions, and all of   
them eventually lead to the Mekani. Neo Queen Serenity   
sighed wearily, knowing that the day she was dreaded   
had finally arrived.   
  
Nearly forty years ago she sent Sailor Uranus and   
Sailor Neptune, along with Earth exiles, on an   
expedition to Tau Ceti in order to ascertain the threat   
level of the Mekani foothold into this galaxy. There   
could be no everlasting peace so long as threats from   
the outside remained, but no communications ever came   
from the expedition. This show of force was more than   
enough proof that the expedition failed.   
  
She placed a hand on the mirror. "What are you up   
to, mechanical ones?"   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Scylla   
  
"Those fools," stated the shadowy spheroid flatly,   
"do they truly believe they can oppose us?"   
  
The creature's large, red eye glowed softly, but at   
such an intensity that its smaller eye, to the bottom   
right end of the large eye that dominated the front of   
the spheroid, was blotted out. The Mekani Director   
stood on four insectoid, steel legs on an even balance.   
It possessed a pair of mandibles just below its huge   
eye, which served no purpose save for show. The   
Director snapped its thick, heavy crab-like claws out   
of habit, and whipped its scorpion-like tail about in   
the air over its head impatiently.   
  
The others referred to the master of the expedition   
as Director Mezzat, and it was its charge to bring   
swift end to the threat posed on Earth.   
  
The humans of Earth constantly confounded him; in   
his own independent study of Earth specimens Mezzat   
discovered some sort of anti-aging agent in their   
bodies, one that slowed the human aging process down to   
a veritable crawl, and not even that. Consequently,   
the average human life span far exceeded the original   
projections, but on the flip side population growth was   
finally confirmed to be drastically decreased, now that   
the information was available below on the surface.   
  
Bizarre creatures, these humans, Mezzat mused.   
Always in fear of death, as expected. It's   
unbelievable that these creatures could threaten the   
Alliance, but everyone in the Hive Entire knew of a   
Director's downfall at their hands. These creatures   
cannot be underestimated.   
  
Mezzat turned toward its ally, standing cloaked in   
the shadow of night. The Mekani had no need of   
lighting in their spacecraft, but some were required in   
order to keep the ship running properly-- an artifact   
of previous designs that proved useful to any guests.   
They were being used as such, but only sparingly, as   
most of the power was spent in the factory blocks.   
  
"The Kraken and the Basilisk are in position, as   
directed," Mezzat explained to the guest. "The   
Griffin and Hydra are on course to their directed   
vectors."   
  
"Excellent," she replied, purring in delight. "I   
shall relish in this moment."   
  
"Do not take too long," warned Mezzat. "We have a   
timeline to consider." The Director's small eye   
rotated in place.   
  
Nearby, a console monitor flared to life, and   
communications was established with one of the other   
warships. "Basilisk reporting," said the silhouetted   
figure on the screen. "We're in position; it's funny   
watching all these ants scurry about like this."   
  
A second console flared to life. "Kraken reporting,"   
said the new speaker, "and we're ready to go. So, are   
you going to issue an attack, or am I going to have to   
break regulations?"   
  
"Wipe that smile off your face," ordered Mezzat's   
guest, snapping with impatience. "There will come a   
time for that later! I wish to savor this."   
  
"Savor it all you want," replied the Kraken, "you've   
got to strike sometime. If we don't act now the Sailor   
Senshi may have enough time to figure out a way to beat   
us; remember, that's not acceptable."   
  
"Situation analyzed and confirmed," Director Mezzat   
said. "Authorization granted to preliminary strikes.   
Issue the general command to the other ships in   
formation. Proceed to target areas as specified in   
the briefing."   
  
---   
  
'80s Cafe, Hollywood   
  
Shingo Tsukino cast a long look toward the horizon,   
as the wedge-shaped warship maintained position just   
off the coast. He did not need to sit in a high-rise   
or a mountain restaurant to know this; the ship was   
really that big, according to the news.   
  
The man who appeared to be in his early twenties   
automatically reached down and picked up his cup of   
coffee, unable to tear his eyes from the hypnotic   
sight of the flying wedge. The monstrous craft   
appeared as if out of nowhere-- it was floating up in   
the sky when he woke up that morning. It was hard   
enough to get past the fact that it wasn't a dream--   
heck, even a publicity stunt-- much less wonder at such   
a technological marvel as the ship.   
  
"Hey, Shingo," the voice belonging to the woman   
across the circular table said, concern in her voice.   
"Are you even listening?"   
  
At an instant Shingo's attention was torn away from   
the aura of awe the ship generated, and was back in the   
open-air Hollywood cafe, sitting opposite his fiancé.   
"Huh?"   
  
"Can't tear your eyes from it, huh?" she decided,   
smiling slightly. "I admit, I think the same thing,   
but it can't get in the way of what's going on."   
  
He nodded in agreement; there was little time to idle   
when one was working post-production for major   
production firms. Shingo's eyes momentarily met with   
those of Chika Hisho, and he remembered much of the   
events leading up to their first encounter well.   
  
It was not long after the last of the renegades were   
exiled to Nemesis, before the First Black Moon War.   
Shingo had joined these rebels on a daring raid-- more   
like being dragged into it, and the queen showed mercy   
to him. Likewise, the close call, and the encounter   
with Neo Queen Serenity, changed his life. He could   
no longer look upon the world the same way again, not   
after understanding the truth of his supposed sister,   
Usagi.   
  
Friends were lost that day, and not even his friend   
Akiko could drag him out of it. However, it was   
through Akiko that Shingo was introduced to Chika-- a   
friend of Akiko's from work that suffered a similar   
depression, as she lost her brother. It was in a state   
of misery loves company that they got to know each   
other better... but Chika would never speak of the fate   
that befell her brother... step-brother, actually.   
  
And, thanks to a job offer in the United States, and   
his own intuition, Shingo mostly escaped the   
devastation that befell Crystal Tokyo during the Black   
Moon invasion of the first war. Certainly, the war was   
world-wide, but most of the damage was concentrated on   
Crystal Tokyo; places such as Hollywood were relatively   
untouched.   
  
Time after the first war came and went, the Second   
Black Moon War arrived, bringing the Fenril Knights.   
At this time Chika tried to bottle herself up even   
further, as if the Fenril Knights disturbed her   
somehow. Shingo respectfully backed off on the issue,   
waiting until after the war had run its course that   
he learned that her step-brother was one of the enemy.   
  
Since he was one of the few Fenril survivors, Chika   
seemed relieved, and opened up more. The past thirty-   
eight years, Shingo reflected, had to have been the   
best time to be alive; it seemed that with the end of   
all threats this dream world was real.   
  
And yet, he knew it was still a far cry from being   
perfect; the invading warships was point enough of   
that.   
  
"Hey," Chika said, "you're STILL not listening!"   
  
"Oh?" Shingo replied, taking a sip of coffee. "I   
think we've plenty of time to finish work. I'm just   
wondering when that thing up there's going to make a   
move." He pointed his free hand back toward the sky.   
"I mean, for all we know this is the Third Black Moon   
War."   
  
"Those days are long past us," Chika replied. "And   
besides, there's not much we two can do about it, so   
the only thing left is to keep living."   
  
"Until someone makes us stop living," Shingo pointed   
out dryly.   
  
She shook her head. "Nah, it'll take care of itself;   
trust me."   
  
---   
  
Front Steps, University of Tokyo   
  
The world knew her as Princess Serenity. The Sailor   
Senshi of the past called her Chibi Moon in her guise.   
Her closest friends called her Chibi-Usa. Today, she   
was none of those.   
  
Now that her training in the past was complete, and   
her mind having grown, Usagi mysteriously advanced in   
her aging process. Today, forty years later, she   
appeared to be in her late teens, surrounded by college   
friends and acquaintances, attending class just like   
any other bright student. None of them were ignorant   
of her identity, but they did not hang around the   
daughter of the world monarch for brownie points.   
  
Respectfully, Usagi's guardians had all but vanished   
from sight, now that she was well on her way to making   
her own way in life. However, she knew she could count   
on the four Asteroid Senshi, if the need should arise.   
  
There was no argument about her attendance of a   
public facility to receive a formal education; in fact,   
her mother encouraged it, seeing as how Usagi could   
learn her people skills better while being amongst the   
people. Both knew it was a subtle, yet effective   
grooming for a time in the future when the princess   
would ascend the throne.   
  
Such thoughts were furthest from her mind, as Usagi's   
thoughts were consumed by the warship that darkened the   
sky. Although morning had not yet come, the   
premonition in her mind bothered her ever since the   
warships first appeared over Earth.   
  
No biting wind blew against her, thanks to the   
weather control system, but Usagi shivered nonetheless,   
her eyes fixated straight up, where the light of the   
stars were blotted by the disgusting mechanical mass   
that covered the visible sky above. The sun would   
appear over the horizon soon enough, but it would make   
no difference, as the shadow cast by the ship would   
make Crystal Tokyo just as dark as night.   
  
"I can sense a dark force," she murmured to herself.   
"But it's nothing like the others from the Cauldron."   
  
Usagi detected movement on the underside of the ship,   
and light issued forth from cracks that formed three   
sides of a box. She knew a hatch was opening on the   
underside of the craft, as the cracks of light grew   
larger as the door opened. She barely made out several   
small, spherical dark specks against the light, moving   
from the end of the hatch into the light, then   
vanishing again entirely.   
  
The enemy was mounting an attack.   
  
Without thinking, without hesitating, Usagi reached   
her hand into the sky, and transformed.   
  
---   
  
The largest of the Mekani warriors, a spheroid   
resembling closely a scorpion in number of appendages,   
focused its smaller eye on the shining light off the   
target vector at minus 30 degrees. As an Enforcer and   
commander of the Griffin attack group, it recognized   
the threat instantly, given previous records of Earth's   
defenders.   
  
"Target identified as Sailor Senshi," the Griffin   
Enforcer informed the warrior, crab-like drones. It   
fired off a longer burn of retro rockets to lessen its   
descent and allowed the warriors to pass by. "Priority   
target override," it commanded. "Eliminate the Sailor   
Senshi at all costs."   
  
---   
  
Discarding her latest identity, the new Sailor Moon   
emerged. It was her responsibility as the princess to   
carry on the tradition passed from her mother-- a   
responsibility to protect the people of Earth from the   
darkness and evil from the stars.   
  
"Why now?" she asked herself, watching as the first   
cluster of Mekani warriors landed at the foot of the   
steps below her, their four insectile legs easily   
bearing the weight of heavy spheres. "Why, after forty   
years would you destroy everything?"   
  
She slipped her wand into her hands as the lead   
warrior issued a warning. "Surrender peacefully and   
your world will be spared. Resistance will be met with   
greater retaliation in kind."   
  
"Surrender?" Moon scoffed. "You came all the way   
from your galaxy just to bully people around? You   
walking tin-can, you don't know who you're up against!   
I'm Sailor Moon, the soldier of love and justice!"   
  
"Registering hostile response," droned the warrior,   
its large eye blinking rapidly. In succession the   
warriors behind it-- seven, she counted-- replied in   
the same manner. "Upgrade to Level 5 operation."   
  
The soldiers spread out in an organized fashion,   
each raising their large, heavy claws. Each of the   
claws, seemingly as heavy as boulders, were held by   
thin arm appendages that were just as thick as their   
legs, and somehow the warriors could balance them   
easily. Both halves of the claw spread up and down to   
open, and a violet energy spike erupted in the space   
in-between. All open claws raised upward to the top   
of the steps.   
  
Moon was ready long before she heard the telltale   
power-up whine in the air, and just as all eight Mekani   
fired in unison she waved her wand before her in a   
circle, creating a force bubble around herself. All at   
the same time the sixteen energy bolts collided with   
the field, then reflected off into the sky from the   
uneven surface. As the warriors continued firing Moon   
refined the shape of her force bubble, transforming it   
into a plane in order to reflect the energy bolts back   
at the attackers.   
  
Her plan was met with reasonable success, as three of   
the warriors instantly went up in smoke, their huge   
eyes shattering and the spheroid bodies exploding,   
throwing bits of metal all over the place. The   
remaining five, including the lead warrior, scurried   
about in an ordered fashion, repositioning themselves   
in order to get a better shot and to avoid the   
reflecting field.   
  
One thing was certain, they were not completely   
stupid, Sailor Moon mused. Not anywhere near as stupid   
as the ones she watched the other Sailor Senshi fight   
during the Great Sleep period.   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Scylla   
  
Mezzat's huge eye lens reflected the Griffin   
Enforer's transmission on the screen, viewing the first   
strike on Earth along with its guest.   
  
"Simultaneous attack all over the world has deviated   
by 2.47% off schedule," reported one of the worker   
drones, off in the darkness of the command center.   
"Within tolerable limits," it added.   
  
"I never expected her to be this old," admitted the   
guest. "The previous reports said she appeared twice   
as young as she is now."   
  
"Analytical data is outdated," Director Mezzat   
concluded. "Enemy target Sailor Moon II poses a larger   
threat than previously assessed; all operations will be   
adjusted accordingly. Upgrade all units ten levels in   
threat assessment."   
  
As a matter of principle the Mekani drones operated   
on as little power as possible. Mezzat, following this   
tradition of the Hive Entire, refused to expend more   
power than was necessary to subdue the threat presented   
on Earth, as it was deemed wasteful.   
  
On the other hand, its guest often lodged complaints   
against such actions, as the enemy, she stated,   
deserved to get annihilated quickly, no matter how much   
the cost. It was, as she stated, a cheaper cost than   
the annihilation of the Alliance.   
  
Unfortunately, Mezzat finally understood such   
reasoning. It was deemed illogical by the Hive Entire,   
and Mezzat had to support it, but now that the targets   
were readily-available to assess... the targets were   
definitely highly-dangerous.   
  
"Ten levels will not cover it," the guest pressed.   
  
"We will operate on standard procedure for as long as   
necessary," the Director replied. "Emotion will not   
cloud judgement. However, judgement will not be   
clouded by procedure. We will test the extent of this   
target's limits at this time."   
  
---   
  
Front Steps, University of Tokyo   
  
Not a minute after the attack began Sailor Moon   
lowered her reflecting field, now that all eight of   
her attackers lay in smoldering ruin at the foot of the   
steps. Her eyes fixated back toward the sky, where a   
much larger spheroid, possessing a tail appendage, was   
making its descent, along with two more warriors that   
likely served as escort. All three landed just beyond   
the ruined warriors.   
  
The leader steadily crawled forward, turning side to   
side slowly, as if assessing the damage done to its   
minions. The huge eye then stared upward, to the top   
of the flight of steps.   
  
"Sailor Moon," it identified. "Form and power do not   
match that of the previously-identified Sailor Moon."   
  
"You're right," she answered, "I'm not the same   
Sailor Moon. I'm the first of a new generation."   
  
The Mekani Enforcer seemed alarmed by this, its huge   
eye focusing quickly. "Then it is true that there are   
more Sailor Senshi...."   
  
"What do you want?" Moon demanded.   
  
"All threats to the Alliance and the Hive Entire will   
be eliminated," demanded the Enforcer. "The Silver   
Crystal of the Moon Kingdom, and the Sailor soldiers   
that guard it, are priority targets. You will be swept   
aside by the Aligned Peoples as we restore order to   
this galaxy."   
  
"The Mekani version of order has no room for freedom   
and harmony!" Sailor Moon countered. "You're just   
interested in creating a haven for drones, not people."   
  
"Then the bargaining period has ended," the Enforcer   
determined. Turning to one side it raised a claw,   
waving its escorts forward. As the two warriors   
skittered past, the leader added, "No mercy!"   
  
---   
  
'80s Cafe, Hollywood   
  
Shouts and stunned looks were the order of the day as   
one building near the coast exploded in brilliant   
flame.   
  
Both Shingo and Chika stood up from their seats,   
staring out toward the source of the explosion. At the   
same time, two more buildings erupted in flame,   
throwing stone, wood, and crystal everywhere. Shingo   
shielded Chika with his body as the sky rained of the   
debris, having been thrown an incredible distance.   
  
"What's going on?!" he shouted, even though he knew   
the answer.   
  
"The enemy... they're attacking...." Chika muttered,   
her voice trembling.   
  
---   
  
Office of the CEO, Peacekeeper HQ   
  
The walls and windows rattled violently as the Mekani   
holding position over Geneva initiated their attack,   
and Ayame was trying to remain standing as she keyed in   
a communications line through her desktop computer.   
  
The image of Ukyo appeared on the monitor. "They've   
started," Ayame informed her.   
  
"No kidding," the Vice Executive replied, and Ayame   
could see smoke rising in the background. "I'm out   
here at ground zero, and those buggers are trying to   
force their way into the World Parliament."   
  
Ayame punched in more keys, bringing up numerous   
maps on the display. "Four ships are attacking at once   
in positions over Crystal Tokyo, Los Angeles, Geneva,   
and Moscow. Try to keep them busy; I'm going to try   
and get word from the other cities under attack."   
  
"What about the Sailor Senshi?"   
  
"Don't count on it," the Chief Executive answered   
quickly. "Predictably, all of them will be busy   
defending Crystal Tokyo. I'm going to check in on our   
other operatives."   
  
---   
  
Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress   
  
"So it's begun," Ziel noted, folding his arms as he   
watched the numerous monitors in front of Shion.   
  
The Director of Section chuckled to himself. "Look   
at all of 'em, Ziel, scurrying around in a panic.   
Those worms of people never dreamed that war would ever   
come again. Not after thirty-eight years, five months,   
two weeks, six days, thirteen hours, and four minutes   
since the end of the 'Second Black Moon War.' Not   
even our friends, the PKs, were prepared enough."   
  
"What about us?" asked the second.   
  
"I've made arrangements," he assured Ziel. "In fact,   
I'm going to be meeting with the Mekani again to   
discuss our futures."   
  
---   
  
Front Steps, University of Tokyo   
  
The force of the twin blasts from the Enforcer's   
claws was enough to throw Sailor Moon backward as they   
impacted against her reflection field, as they   
absorbed the energy bolts rather than reflected them.   
Quickly scrambling to her feet she dropped the field,   
and broke into a sprint as more of the Enforcer's bolts   
hailed in her direction.   
  
Risking a glance over her shoulder Moon saw the   
Enforcer making efficient use of its mobility, using   
its built-in rockets to hasten its pace. In fact, if   
her eyes weren't mistaken, the beast was threatening to   
overtake her.   
  
She came to a halt just in time to note the other two   
warriors block her escape route. Heavy claws raised to   
bludgeon her into submission, and Sailor Moon leaped   
backward to avoid the blow. She aimed her wand outward   
and fired a blast toward the offending machine, but it   
fired its own rockets in time to avoid the blast,   
flying upward in a quick jump.   
  
The second warrior made a high-pitched whine with   
its right claw, powering up its blaster. Quickly Moon   
threw up a field in front of the claw, and the next   
instant later the claw weapon was a smoking wreck.   
However, the momentary pause gave the Enforcer enough   
time to land on top of Sailor Moon, with the first   
warrior behind.   
  
The descending weight of the spheroid knocked the   
wind out of Sailor Moon, as she barely noticed the   
Enforcer's scrutinizing smaller eye giving her a harsh   
look.   
  
"All too easy," the Enforcer decided, powering up its   
tail weapon.   
  
Another high-pitched whine blotted out the noise,   
followed by the sound of something sparking. Sailor   
Moon shook her head, and turned to look upward, where   
the tail appendage used to be.   
  
The Enforcer, obviously surprised, lowered its tail   
in front of its huge eye, as if studying the sudden   
damage to its person. "What the...?"   
  
An explosion rocked behind the behemoth, as the first   
warrior was cleaved cleanly in two down the middle   
axis. "Leave her alone!"   
  
Sailor Moon recognized that voice, and her eyes   
widened in excitement.   
  
"Deal with the secondary target!" the Enforcer   
ordered the remaining warrior.   
  
Moon felt the weight of the spheroid lessen, and she   
realized that the leader was trying to make a quick   
exit. She sat up, finding her wand was still within   
reach, and snatched it up.   
  
Another slash from her rescuer, and the remaining   
Mekani warrior was cleaved in two, just like its   
partner. Bits of the creature's interior sparked and   
exploded, but it did not faze the young woman one bit.   
  
"He's getting away!" hissed Sailor Saturn.   
  
"I've got it!" Sailor Moon cried, pointing her wand   
into the air where the Enforcer was retreating. A   
focused blast issued forth, hitting the beast in one of   
its rocket boosters. Now thrown off-balance, the   
Enforcer's direction took a sharp turn and it ended up   
diving straight toward the ground. The two Sailor   
soldiers heard the telltale crash soon thereafter,   
followed by a great plume of smoke.   
  
Moon turned toward her longtime friend. "Thanks."   
  
"You weren't thinking of taking them by yourself,   
were you?" Saturn asked. "Come on, let's make sure   
that monster's done for."   
  
They found the crashed spheroid not far away. The   
crater was very shallow, thanks to the fact that it   
couldn't fly very far. The Enforcer's huge eye was   
cracked, and some pieces of the lens broke off in the   
crash. The creature's insectile legs were bent and   
broken-- a sure sign that it wasn't going anywhere in   
the near future. However, one of the claws still   
functioned-- albeit with only the upper half of the   
claw still attached-- using it as a means to orient its   
eye upright to the airship above.   
  
Saturn held Moon back. "Careful... we don't know   
how much more dangerous it can be."   
  
"What's it trying to do?" wondered Sailor Moon.   
  
The Enforcer hissed as it attempted to speak. "No...   
more... abandon...."   
  
Suddenly, the creature's only functional appendage   
stopped moving, and fell limp to the ground. Saturn   
tensed as the spheroid's huge eye rotated counter-   
clockwise, extending as it went, like a huge screw.   
Sailor Moon could hear her heart beat in anticipation   
as the huge lens finally ended after an arm's length,   
falling to the ground uselessly against the dirt.   
  
"Damn you, Sailor Senshi," they heard someone curse   
from within the depths of the creature. "Always the   
same damn thing!"   
  
Both girls' eyes widened as a pair of hands emerged   
from the rim of the hole the lens left-- human hands.   
Following not far behind came a head, full of hair as   
dark as night. They heard him cough from the smoke   
within the beast, and he struggled to stand up. It was   
a miracle his white robes, patterned in an old Chinese   
style, remained clean. He turned suddenly, his glasses   
glinting against whatever light was available.   
  
"The Mekani are human...?!" muttered Sailor Moon in   
surprise.   
  
"Whoever you are," Mousse rumbled angrily, "you   
haven't seen anything yet!" In an instant, three   
knives appeared in his hand. Gritting his teeth,   
seething with fury, the Master of Hidden Weapons,   
having made his homecoming, attacked the offending   
Sailor Senshi that plagued his existence.   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
Ukyo struggled to catch her breath, maintaining her   
grip on her combat spatula even though all the Mekani   
warriors around the front gate were destroyed, in   
flaming husks. She cast a glance to her right, where   
Konatsu, standing on his knees, stood similarly with   
his sword. Both Peacekeeper agents felt exhausted from   
the onslaught, and both knew it wouldn't be the last.   
  
"All units, check in," Ukyo ordered, issuing the   
command through the microphone attached to the collar   
of her jacket. She unbuttoned a couple more rows for   
good measure.   
  
The former okonomiyaki chef barely paid attention to   
the success reports, now that Konatsu had her full   
attention. He pointed outward toward the destroyed   
enemy mass, and a silhouette appeared from the flames.   
  
"Well, well, well," the newcomer shouted, her voice   
echoing across the courtyard. "I never thought I'd see   
you here."   
  
"That voice..." Ukyo muttered, finding a ring of   
familiarity in it. "But where...?"   
  
"Still working for peace and justice, Ukyo Kuonji?   
I'm surprised at you! You should've joined Section;   
its goals suit you much more."   
  
The newcomer, a young woman appearing to be in her   
early twenties, dressed loosely in a pink kimono top   
and hakama, the sleeves decorated with cherry blossoms   
that were oddly in a spread of eight rather than   
five. Her hair was kept to each side of her face, and   
she wore a pony-tail in the back, tied by a red chord.   
Two metallic, tentacle-like appendages appeared over   
each shoulder-- the mark of one who was familiar having   
changed so much.   
  
"Shizuka Minazuki," Ukyo remembered. "You're still   
alive...."   
  
"Sadly, I won't be able to say the same for you,"   
the girl warned, "nor of Neo Queen Serenity, or her   
puppet government! You know nothing of how the cosmos   
works, you insignificant peon!"   
  
---   
  
'80s Cafe, Hollywood   
  
"Cinder," Chika whispered in recognition, as fire   
rained from the heavens. The flames engulfing the   
city flared of recognition. "It's his fire... no,   
Suzaku's fire."   
  
"What?" Shingo asked, obviously perplexed.   
  
She turned toward her fiancé. "The Nemesis   
expedition failed; the ones we exiled have returned on   
the enemy's side!" Desperation clung to her voice.   
"If we don't do something quick, there'll be nothing   
left...."   
  
---   
  
University of Tokyo, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Proving himself more than capable of battling while   
outnumbered, Mousse rained metal weapons, tethered or   
not, on his enemies, pinning down the two Sailor   
Senshi with little regard to who he was aiming at.   
  
They heard several explosions in the distance. The   
leader of the attack chuckled to himself. "See? You   
two girls aren't any match for us! Even now your   
friends should be engaging wave after wave of my   
drones, and they won't stop until you drop!" Lightning   
sparked in the air a long distance away past the two   
girls, and he noted flames jetting out of the corner   
of his right eye. Good.   
  
"What do you want from us?!" shouted Sailor Moon,   
her back against the wall separating herself from   
Mousse's deadly projectiles. "How could you side with   
the Mekani?"   
  
"That ship up there," Mousse continued, ignoring   
Moon, "is not just a warship, but it's also a quick,   
mobile factory satellite! All of them are! With our   
vast cache of resources, it'll be a simple matter to   
manufacture more drones. And heck, while we're at it,   
we can scrounge up more from Earth!"   
  
"He's mad," Saturn said, ducking next to Sailor   
Moon.   
  
"And he's also not listening to me!" the other girl   
pouted.   
  
"What'll we do? We can't kill him."   
  
"I'm thinking!"   
  
However, before that plan could come the section of   
wall between the two Sailor Senshi exploded as a heavy   
chain mace crashed through it.   
  
"We're fighting," Saturn decided for herself,   
tightening her grip on her Silence Glaive. Standing   
quickly, she vaulted over the wall.   
  
Mousse smiled in satisfaction as Sailor Saturn came   
at him, and, discarding his chains, he raised a sword   
quickly to parry the attack from her polearm. He gave   
himself better leverage, grasping the handle with his   
other hand, and shoved Saturn backward and away,   
giving himself time to find a better position.   
  
"So, this second generation likes to fight dirty,   
eh?" The Master of Hidden Weapons smacked his lips.   
"Just my style...."   
  
"You'll find I'm full of surprises," warned Saturn.   
"Back down now, or pay the consequences!"   
  
"Hah! And you, too, girly, will find I'm the master   
of surprise!" Mousse quickly freed a hand, and quickly   
produced the twin of the sword he was wielding from   
the darkness of his sleeves. "Let's dance!"   
  
---   
  
Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress   
  
"Our operative in Los Angeles informs us that it's   
Cinder's handiwork," Ziel reported, flipping his cell   
phone closed and turning back toward the monitors.   
"It seems you were right, after all."   
  
"Of course I'm right," Shion gloated. "I've got   
help." He pointed to a silhouetted figure on one of   
the monitors. "And while our friends up there are busy   
playing with the Mekani, and getting wasted, we'll be   
there to pick up the pieces and rebuild a new Earth."   
  
"What about... her?" asked the second, a hint of   
concern in his voice.   
  
Shion snorted. "Shizuka... yes, she's finally come   
back." He brought his index fingers to his lips, as if   
contemplating. "Yes, we'll meet, very soon."   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
"Your majesty," Ayame said, as Neo Queen Serenity   
waited patiently in her quarters, staring into the   
communications mirror. "We've positively-identified   
the leader of the attack at Geneva is in fact Shizuka   
Minazuki. Konatsu tells me that Ukyo's fighting her   
right now... and she's beefed-up."   
  
"So the expedition aligned themselves with the   
Mekani," Neo Queen Serenity concluded. "How many   
others are confirmed?"   
  
"An agent in the Los Angeles area has reasonable   
evidence to believe that Cinder is causing the Rain of   
Fire that's destroying everything," the Chief Executive   
reported. On the other hand, the attacks on Moscow   
and Crystal Tokyo are lead by Mekani."   
  
"Only two are confirmed, then," the queen said with   
a sigh. There was no telling what happened to the   
expedition... or to Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune,   
much less the others. "My Sailor Senshi are battling   
the Mekani drones all across the city, but they have   
yet to find my daughter yet."   
  
"She can take care of herself," Ayame said quickly.   
"What I'm more concerned about are these mass droves   
of drones. I mean, we never expected them to bring   
THIS many drones...."   
  
"It is not yours to bear the blame," Neo Queen   
Serenity said. "The turn of events are a shock to us   
all, but we must decide how to remedy it."   
  
"The Night Hammer won't get here in time," Ayame   
stated, "and even then... the Mekani saw fit to destroy   
or disable the satellites. We think they're using some   
of 'em to communicate with each other across the Earth   
sphere."   
  
A global, computer-generated schematic appeared in   
Ayame's place, displaying the current positions of the   
Mekani warships. Scylla and Charybdis maintained their   
original positions, but Kraken moved to Geneva,   
Basilisk to Moscow, Griffin to Crystal Tokyo, and Hydra   
to Los Angeles. Red dots appeared, indicating the   
satellites that have been compromised, and these as   
well as the ships were connected by dotted red lines,   
with the most lines emerging from the Scylla.   
  
"As you can see, they've got a fine network set up   
here, and, judging from the number of transmissions   
we've observed, the command ship is the Scylla," Ayame   
presented. "My suggestion is we repel this first wave,   
and, before they can mount a second wave, we board and   
destroy the command ship. We believe that, if we take   
out the Director, the rest should fall into chaos and   
disarray... long enough for us to destroy them or force   
them to flee."   
  
"A sound idea, but we must repel the first wave," Neo   
Queen Serenity replied.   
  
"I suggest we take out the leaders first," Ayame   
advised. "Without a general to control them the drones   
won't be able to act, so we've got to find the control   
units and disable them."   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
"Easier said than done," Ukyo muttered, receiving the   
same transmission through her ear piece. She struggled   
to deflect the tentacles springing from over Shizuka's   
shoulders, as they were too armored to be cleaved   
easily, and they threatened to rip Ukyo's spatula from   
her hands.   
  
Shizuka, for her part, stood with her arms folded as   
the tentacles did the work for her, extending across   
the battlefield with a seemingly limitless limit to   
distance. "You couldn't understand how much more   
powerful I've become. You're too limited to the box to   
notice... how could you choose the box, Kuonji?"   
  
"How could you choose to side with them?!" Ukyo   
countered, swatting the tentacles away with the flat of   
her combat spatula.   
  
"The Nemesis expedition was doomed to failure the   
moment it started on its fool's errand!" the priestess   
of Genbu cried. "Your puppet government has only to   
blame itself for bringing about its own problem; all   
that transpires today is rooted in that day, thirty-   
eight years ago!"   
  
"You chose exile, remember?" she reminded the enemy.   
  
"And you chose to sell your soul!" Shizuka countered   
angrily. "You stupid flake, I've been meaning to fight   
you ever since you deserted us the first time! How   
dare you, you stuck-up bitch, go ahead and betray us,   
then show me up?!"   
  
"Sheesh, you're still caught up on that?!" Ukyo   
muttered, dodging the tentacles' flailing, matching the   
turbulent mood of their master.   
  
For a moment she wished she hadn't dismissed her men,   
but it was probably destiny that she fight the   
priestess of Genbu alone. The demon hunter had it in   
for her since day 1, seeing how Ukyo commanded much   
respect and admiration, while Shizuka was scorned and   
loathed for doing similar things. It was jealousy,   
plain and simple; what came at an arm and a leg for   
Shizuka came easy for Ukyo.   
  
Heck, if reports were correct, Ukyo was still winning   
even in the relationships department.   
  
It was obvious to her that Shizuka was upset, but,   
strangely enough, Ukyo couldn't feel her aura   
exploding. She should be able to feel it, even from   
this distance.   
  
Ukyo reached into the inner pocket of her jacket,   
producing throwing spatulas that glinted against the   
flames of the demolished Mekani warrior drones, and   
threw them with precision toward Shizuka. Predictably,   
the tentacles whipped themselves in the way, deflecting   
the projectiles from their master. Seizing the   
opportunity, Ukyo raised her combat spatula overhead   
and charged while the tentacles were momentarily   
distracted.   
  
Letting out a battle cry, Ukyo focused her energies   
into one enormous swing, and leaped at her   
opponent, apparently catching Shizuka by surprise,   
judging from her sudden loss of composure. However,   
just as Ukyo was about to bring down her edge, the   
tentacles snapped against her limbs, wrapping around   
both her arms and legs quickly. The sudden hold   
ground her descent to an abrupt halt, throwing off her   
aim. The Vice Executive lost her hold on the spatula,   
and it buried itself into the concrete below her.   
  
"Really, Kuonji," Shizuka tsked, regaining her   
smug composure, "you should know better than that. I   
have the power of the gods behind me!"   
  
"The gods are gone," Ukyo shot back in a low tone.   
"Grow up, little girl."   
  
"Heh, 'grow up?'" laughed Shizuka, obviously   
amused. "Why, you haven't aged since the day we left!   
None of us have! Or do you mean mentally? I've grown   
up that way in spades... and hell, you haven't changed   
one bit. You too scared to see what's outside   
Pandora's Box. If there's anyone that needs to 'grow   
up,' it's you. You pathetic creatures are but   
children to the cosmos!"   
  
Ukyo felt the wind shift from her right, and in the   
next instant a vacuum cut slashed the air in front of   
her. She felt herself tumble to the hard concrete   
below, barely missing getting impaled on her own   
spatula. The tentacles loosed their grip on her arms   
and legs, and when she finally collected herself she   
realized that it was Konatsu that helped her.   
  
Shizuka was reeling backward, trying to give   
herself distance between her and Konatsu's sword. The   
ends of both severed tentacles sparked from broken   
wires, and she cradled her right arm, as if it got   
hurt.   
  
"You fool, now look what you've done!" she cried.   
  
"Sorry I disobeyed," Konatsu said quickly, "but I'd   
rather deal with the punishment than...."   
  
"Never mind that," Ukyo cut him off, pulling her   
spatula from the ground as she got up. Standing beside   
her assistant and friend, the Vice Executive readied   
herself for whatever plan Shizuka was thinking next.   
  
She detected something pulse under the skin of her   
arm. "Give it up, Shizuka," she ordered.   
  
The priestess of Genbu looked down at her arm, and   
then back at her enemies, gritting her teeth as if in   
pain. A second later Shizuka could no longer contain   
herself, and slowly she burst into a scream.   
  
And, along with it, her right arm burst as well.   
  
Both Ukyo and Konatsu took an involuntary step back,   
repulsed by the sight. Three bloody tentacles, each   
appearing similar to the shoulder tentacles, emerged   
from the stump where Shizuka's hand used to be.   
  
The same hand that was destroyed back on the Night   
Hammer by Vizier...? Ukyo recalled darkly.   
  
The three tentacles whipped around like the head of a   
flail. "You've asked for it," the priestess seethed.   
  
---   
  
University of Tokyo, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Despite her best efforts Sailor Saturn could not   
penetrate the superior defense offered by Mousse and   
his double sword style, but on the flip side, he was   
suffering the same problem. The Soldier of   
Destruction pressed further, with only the thought of   
protecting the princess in mind.   
  
There was no reason to assume her guise as Sailor   
Saturn-- not since they had to deal with the Mekani   
during the Great Sleep. It was the last time, she   
vowed, to serve her role as the Soldier of Destruction,   
after systematically wiping-out entire peoples. It was   
a catastrophe too great to bear in her mind, and to   
end the cycle of death and destruction she resumed her   
life as just plain Hotaru.   
  
Despite the destruction raised during the First Black   
Moon War Hotaru remained a distant spectator of the   
events, choosing to stay out of the conflict in fear of   
wiping out more peoples that deserved no genocide. The   
power Death offered was too tempting to not even   
consider it.... Fortunately, in the end, events worked   
out in the Crystal Court's favor, in events ordained   
a thousand years ago.   
  
However, peace would not last, as it was interrupted   
by the Second Black Moon War, which was essentially a   
continuation of the first, akin to the two World Wars   
of the past. Unresolved issues came to light in this   
second war, and the enemy was far more cunning and   
dangerous. In fact, Hotaru herself spent much of the   
war as a hostage on the world of Nemesis, when the   
Fenril Knights captured the population of Crystal   
Tokyo. Again, Death tempted her, time and again, but   
events transpired such that Sailor Saturn was not   
needed.   
  
Forty years passed since the time of war, and it was   
during that period of time that she and Usagi started   
to physically-age, because their minds, bodies, and   
souls were ready to move on. They shared much time   
together with friends during the era of peace, and it   
seemed the era of the Sailor Senshi was drawing to a   
close.   
  
Now, however, the Mekani returned, in what amounted   
to a threat larger than the two previous wars combined.   
It was no simple human uprising, but a full-scale   
invasion force, six-times larger than the previous   
invasion attempt at the close of the second war.   
  
Hotaru had to admit she was worried about her friend   
when she slipped out into the early morning by   
herself, and it was when she saw her fighting against   
the Mekani that she knew what to do. Death would not   
chain her in her duty to protect her friend.   
  
Although I am the Soldier of Death and Destruction,   
she thought, I will not allow it to prevent me from   
protecting this world. So long as I live....   
  
Mousse caught the Silence Glaive's shaft between his   
crossed blades, then shoved Saturn backward again, then   
leaped back. Unwilling to charge against the enemy   
martial artist again, and Mousse seemingly sensing the   
same, the two stood their ground.   
  
"You're the first real match I've met for a long   
time," Mousse admitted, between heavy breaths.   
  
"The same for you," Saturn returned the praise.   
  
The Master of Hidden Weapons, despite himself,   
lowered his blades. "I've had fun, girl...."   
  
"Sailor Saturn," she corrected sternly.   
  
"Sailor Saturn," he accepted. Mousse twirled the   
blades around, and sheathed them back up his sleeves.   
"But, next time we meet, I won't be so easy." Without   
waiting for a response, Mousse turned his back, and   
walked toward the darkness.   
  
Young Sailor Moon rushed to Saturn's side, as the   
Soldier of Destruction eased her guard. "Sailor   
Saturn," she cried, "you're letting him go?"   
  
"People like him," Saturn replied, "are proud. This   
Mousse is a warrior... somehow, he trusts me enough to   
turn his back. Like he expects it."   
  
"Or respects you," Moon pointed out. "It might be a   
courtesy... from one warrior to another, maybe."   
  
"Perhaps," she considered. She turned to face her   
friend. "We should help the others; there's no telling   
how many drones are on the loose in the city."   
  
"Right!" Moon agreed, nodding.   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
Shizuka continued to retreat and step back as she   
whipped her flail arm before her, attempting to keep   
her opponents at bay while making a steady retreat.   
This fact was not lost upon either of the Peacekeepers,   
and they pressed their advantage, intending to go as   
far as they can take it.   
  
"It's over, Shizuka," Ukyo shouted. "Not even your   
Mekani enhancements can raise your skill anywhere near   
our level."   
  
"Dammit," the priestess cursed. "Should've known it   
was all too good to be true." The cornered girl,   
despite her situation, started to laugh.   
  
"What's so funny?!" demanded Konatsu.   
  
"Watch yourself," warned the Vice Executive. "Be   
ready for anything!" And even then, she added quietly   
to herself, why hasn't she summoned Deathclaw's power   
yet?   
  
"Idiots, how would you like to go up with me?"   
Shizuka asked, her face bearing a dark expression. All   
five tentacles lashed out at the two PKs, but each of   
them dodged their deadly grasp. "Initiate self-   
destruct sequence! Count down five seconds!"   
  
"What the...?!" Ukyo gasped, momentarily dropping her   
defenses when the words hit her.   
  
"No time!" Konatsu cried, grabbing Ukyo's arm and   
running for dear life.   
  
The events happened far too quickly for Ukyo to take   
in at once. For a moment she saw a brilliant flash of   
white light, and the next moment she was being   
propelled backward by a great force. The world seemed   
to disappear around her, and her senses dulled.   
  
When she came to the Vice Executive was lying flat on   
her back on the hard concrete walkway leading up to the   
World Parliament, staring up at the sky. Beside her,   
Konatsu was slowly getting up, as he was facing down.   
The warrior appeared to be fine, and Ukyo thought the   
same for herself, but the moment she tried to sit up   
she knew her pain receptors were still working well.   
  
She blinked as a heavy object fell beside her with a   
loud thud. The mechanical arm attached to Shizuka was   
still flinching since being flung from ground zero, as   
the tentacles still whipped about, but in a less-   
violent manner. Ukyo watched as the Mekani device   
slowly died from lack of power-- or the end of the   
rigor mortise.   
  
"God dammit," she cursed, staring up toward the sky   
at the Kraken. "What the hell is going on?"   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Kraken   
  
"Dammit!" Shizuka cursed, the door to her control   
chamber hissing open violently. Steam-- or likely   
smoke-- issued from the open door, as if something   
overloaded while she was inside. "Mezzat, you bastard,   
your stupid replicant droid almost killed me!"   
  
The Director she was addressing appeared on the main   
viewscreen of the command center, with its guest   
standing in the background and to the left, still   
concealed by darkness. The cold stare of the huge eye   
reflected the monitor the Director was viewing.   
  
"You pushed it too hard," the woman behind Mezzat   
pointed out. "It's no wonder it stopped being   
effective."   
  
"Such an advantage is lost to our cause," Director   
Mezzat added coldly.   
  
"Who gives a crap?!" wondered Shizuka, flaring in   
anger. "They're going to put the pieces together and   
they'll still know I didn't blow myself up. Heck, even   
that stuck-up bitch knew it wasn't me-- I could tell!"   
  
"Withdraw your forces from the target zone at once,"   
Mezzat ordered. "Maintain siege positions and hold.   
The Earth defenders were stronger than anticipated on   
most fronts. Two of the targets have been neutralized,   
but your target and Crystal Tokyo still stand with   
strong defenses."   
  
"And those are the ones that matter!" Shizuka pointed   
out. "They didn't go for the bait like you said they   
would! How could they, if they weren't prepared for   
this? They saved all the good stuff for that which   
they HAVE to defend."   
  
"We are presently re-evaluating our tactics," the   
Director added. "Stand-by for further instructions."   
With that, the Mekani commander terminated the link.   
  
Shizuka flipped the birdie to the blank screen.   
"You bastard, you screwed up!"   
  
"Don't let it bother you too much," Mousse   
suggested, his image appearing on a console near the   
angry priestess. "We've got them holed-in pretty good   
now; we can take 'em out whenever we want."   
  
"In any situation," Cinder added, appearing on a   
second monitor, "I will have the opportunity to exact   
vengeance on the Sailor Senshi myself."   
  
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Shizuka warned.   
"We've been in this position before, remember?"   
  
"And this time we're not going to screw up," Mousse   
promised. "They heard us before, but this time,   
they're going to listen...."   
  
---   
  
'80s Cafe, Hollywood   
  
Slowly people made their way out of the woodwork of   
the devastated city, each turning to the sky where the   
Mekani warship hung overhead, serenely amidst the   
smoke and destruction.   
  
Shingo worked his way to the bar, where Chika was   
seated, presently watching the news on a monitor   
reserved for the cafe patrons. There was very little   
being said that he didn't know, and for the most part   
the reporter was making things up as he went along.   
  
However, the camera changed to an aerial shot, from   
one of the few news copters still braving the skies   
since the Rain of Fire, as they coined it. Shingo's   
eyes widened, noting that, when the camera zoomed out   
for a panoramic shot of the destruction, there was a   
pattern....   
  
"Chika," he whispered.   
  
However, she saw it as well. "Yeah, I know."   
  
The destruction was drawn out with a series of   
strokes not unlike kanji. If one distanced themselves   
far enough they would know that it was specifically   
two characters: "Suzaku."   
  
"He's sending a message," Chika knew. "It really IS   
Cinder, and it's a challenge."   
  
"For who?" asked Shingo.   
  
His fiancé shook her head. "I don't know... I only   
know OF Cinder, but haven't really met him. Just a few   
good looks, is all. He's supposed to be possessed by   
the spirit of the god Suzaku."   
  
"But the gods...."   
  
"Cinder himself is one of the gods," she interrupted   
quickly. "His kind was wiped out by the Sailor   
Senshi, and now he demands restitution for his loss of   
honor. I'm sure the other surviving kami will see   
this, and it'll inspire them to side with the enemy."   
  
"I see. Then there's nothing much we can do."   
  
Chika shook her head. "Not really." Glancing at her   
watch, she stood up from her seat. "I'm sorry to have   
to break off like this, but...."   
  
"Don't worry, just go," Shingo said, understanding   
completely. He, too, had family and friends to be   
concerned about, and it was time for him to figure out   
what to do next.   
  
---   
  
Office of the CEO, Peacekeeper HQ   
  
Ayame sighed, trying to bury herself into her chair.   
Her monitor displayed the current tactical overview   
of the Mekani invaders-- two locations fell to their   
onslaught, and the other two remain hanging on a thread   
as the Mekani, although pushed back for now, were still   
in a position to siege Geneva and Crystal Tokyo. It   
was only desperation that kept those two key cities   
free, while Moscow and Los Angeles seemed to be merely   
random targets of destruction. The Mekani literally   
had no reason to raze them.   
  
Everyone knew if they kept up with it, Earth was   
doomed to fall.   
  
Ayame tapped her fingers together, slumping in her   
seat. The destruction was confirmed by her remote   
operatives working in both Moscow and Los Angeles   
areas, and the casualty tolls weren't through yet.   
Heck, they wouldn't be through until after someone got   
the Mekani to stop hailing the structures with fire   
and electrical bursts.   
  
"At least we got them to stop," she said half-   
heartedly. "And we've still got the robots in reserve,   
even."   
  
Not that the Mishima-made robots, which hadn't been   
upgraded in forty years, could keep up with the Mekani   
drones, much less could she deploy them in places other   
than Geneva or Crystal Tokyo.   
  
The image of Ayame's assistant appeared on the   
monitor, interrupting her thoughts. The Chief   
Executive was instantly sitting-up, unwilling to show   
any sign of slacking from her duties.   
  
"Sir," he said, "Neo Queen Serenity is on the line   
now. Your meeting is about to begin."   
  
"Put me through," Ayame ordered.   
  
In a second the assistant was replaced with a view of   
the interior of the Crystal Palace, half a world away.   
From the position her monitor was set Ayame could see   
the long side of a rectangular table, and gathered   
around it were the members of the Crystal Court-- Neo   
Queen Serenity, her husband, the princess, and four of   
the Sailor Senshi, with Sailor Pluto and the Asteroid   
Senshi absent, as usual. For a moment Ayame wished she   
knew where those people went, as they weren't attached   
to the palace, but her speculation was interrupted as   
she realized there was an extra body present.   
  
"Greetings, Ayame," Neo Queen Serenity began. She   
gestured a hand in the newbie's direction. "This is   
Sailor Saturn. Sailor Saturn, Ayame Mishima, the Chief   
Executive Officer of the Peacekeepers."   
  
Ayame nodded, subconsciously accepting the new   
addition. "Well, like you wanted... the attacks have   
stopped for now. Not that we know why, since we've   
only actually routed one of their leaders."   
  
"I see. Then they are planning something much larger   
than a simple invasion."   
  
"According to the information we've gathered, and   
from reports made by my vice executive, the leaders are   
in fact the remnants of the Fenril Knights, exiled to   
Nemesis after the last war. They've definitely sided   
with the Mekani, and they're apparently cooperating   
fully."   
  
"I agree," Saturn said. "The one we fought here was   
using a Mekani Enforcer as a vehicle of some sort."   
  
"Well, we got some kind of sophisticated robot that   
looked like Shizuka," the PK Director stated. "My guys   
are studying the remains even as we speak, looking for   
any way we can take advantage of the Mekani tech."   
  
"Or disable them," suggested King Endymion. "It   
seems to me that, if these Mekani hold a similar   
philosophy as before, they will have innumerable   
hordes at their disposal. Deactivating them at the   
source will be desirable."   
  
"We theorize that the head is working at the Scylla   
warship," Ayame added.   
  
"But why there?" asked Sailor Mercury. "Certainly,   
it is where most of the transmission signals originate,   
but the Mekani are clever. Who's to say that they   
would not have multiple command centers on each ship?"   
  
"Or even the Charybdis," Mars said. "So far that's   
the only ship that hasn't actually done anything yet."   
  
"None of the warships have shown any signs of   
activity since the attacks ceased, but...."   
  
Ayame's voice trailed off as the communications link   
was showing static-- something that shouldn't be   
possible with the level of communication she was   
working at. Replacing her view of the palace was what   
amounted to a pirate transmission-- one that the   
Crystal Court was likely also experiencing.   
  
"Greetings, Neo Queen Serenity," came the instigator,   
his form silhouetted by a large captain's chair, and   
his glasses reflecting the screen. "And to you, too,   
Ayame... seems our chats are becoming more frequent."   
  
"Shion," Ayame said. "What game are you playing this   
time?"   
  
"Oh, nothing much," he said in mock modesty. "I   
just wanted to congratulate you on your successful   
defense of Los Angeles and Moscow. My agents tell me   
that it was quite a success."   
  
"All sarcasm aside," she heard Mercury say, "the   
human race is being threatened by an outside force,   
with such strength that many more lives will be lost if   
we don't work together."   
  
Shion laughed, darkly amused by the obscured plea.   
"And to boost my ego even further... no."   
  
"'No?'" cried Jupiter. "Are you crazy?"   
  
"I assure you, I'm quite sane. For the most part."   
  
"You sold us out to the Mekani, is that it?" Mars   
accused. "That's why you're talking to us now, to   
laugh and point fingers? Grow up."   
  
"'Grow up?' Nah." The Section Director paused to   
laugh at his own joke. "Section will survive once your   
Crystal Court is wiped-out. They're only interested in   
you, after all. They don't care about humans; they   
want to get rid of you."   
  
"Why us?" asked Neo Queen Serenity. "What could we   
possibly do to threaten the Mekani?"   
  
"Two words: disco ball."   
  
With that, Shion terminated the link, and Ayame was   
offered full view of the Crystal Court once again.   
  
"What's that guy thinking, selling us out?" wondered   
Venus.   
  
"Don't you get it?" Mars said. "As long as their   
goals coincide with the Mekani, they'll side with   
them."   
  
"On the other hand," Ayame interrupted, "Shion did   
mention we had a chance of winning."   
  
And apparently, Neo Queen Serenity was thinking the   
same. "I will not resort to the Silver Crystal. We   
cannot depend on its power to save us every time a new   
enemy threatens us from the stars."   
  
"We don't have a choice," the Chief Executive pointed   
out. "Any minute now the Mekani are going to mass-gang   
us, and take out everyone in the way."   
  
"There has to be another way," the world monarch   
insisted. "If we rely on the crystal's power once   
more, then all that we worked to reach this point since   
the last war will be for naught. I restructured this   
world to give it back to the people, and live in peace   
and prosperity at the same time. I will not allow an   
intergalactic bully to push us around."   
  
"Then we'll just have to take out the Scylla," Sailor   
Mercury decided. "However, if the enemy learned from   
their previous mistakes, then even severing the head   
will not end this conflict."   
  
---   
  
Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress   
  
"How ironic," Shion mused, "that after all this time   
the fate of the planet Earth lies in the hands of the   
rebels of the past. In the same vein that Section is   
made up of those who resisted Neo Queen Serenity's rule   
so did the PKs. Both drew upon the same pool, and both   
approached the renegades on a one-on-one basis to   
convert to their cause. No one who was not a rebel   
wouldn't dream of joining either faction, and thus   
they live ignorantly in bliss... until both of their   
existences were forcibly made known."   
  
He spun in his captain's chair, facing Ziel. "Don't   
you think?"   
  
"That's all fine and dandy," Ziel said, "but there's   
been a problem. The project subject... she's emitting   
a great deal of psionic waves. If I'm not mistaken,   
her mind has gone completely active again."   
  
"You're kidding," the Director wanted to believe.   
"This isn't a good time."   
  
Ziel leaned over Shion's desk, and punched in a few   
keys on the keyboard. Shion turned back around to   
face the monitors, and the bottom center monitor   
displayed a watcher's view of the darkest room in the   
Inner Circle complex. Lying flat on her back in a   
clean hospital bed, connected to life support and   
monitoring stations, was Hokuto Takemasa, a serene,   
peaceful look on her face. However, the brainwave   
analyzer to her left was indicating otherwise.   
  
"Dammit, not now!" Shion hissed. "Don't wake up   
now!"   
  
"Want me to terminate her?" asked the second.   
  
Shion shook his head. "It's too late; we can't help   
it any longer. It seems we're going to have to pull   
out our ace card a bit earlier than expected."   
  
---   
  
Darkness   
  
"The light... it's like a baseball now... I can feel   
its warm brilliance...."   
  
"I hear them... I hear the sound of my name, called   
over and over. I can see them, the ones that call my   
name. How do they speak of me? Does it really   
matter? I am remembered...."   
  
"What is the meaning of this darkness? Is it here,   
defined so that we may seek the light? Is this the   
reason why we must reach for the light?"   
  
"I feel warm inside... a warmness lost since I was   
banished to this cold darkness. I will achieve my   
homecoming, by touching the light."   
  
"The voices... they wait for me. I can hear them   
calling my name... those that bathe in the light. All   
should bathe the light."   
  
"All should share in its brilliance."   
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
After a time I decided to pick up on the loose end I   
left for myself after I finished 'Ragnarok;' I   
purposefully meant for this to have an ending point   
there, but still have ideas that elaborate further on   
the Mekani themselves, and some other consequences   
that were dropped in the last few chapters. Enjoy.   
  
This chapter mainly focuses on characters I neglected   
in the past-- Chibi-Usa, Hotaru, and Shingo. They are   
all somewhat integral to what's going on in this day   
and age, and this is their story, basically. It also   
adds more info on the unknown enemy, the Mekani, who   
have not been detailed before. Back in the original   
Geometry story Shingo was a key player, and in Souls   
he disappeared into the woodwork, so I decided to bring   
him back. I really didn't want to deal with little   
kids, either, so I aged Chibi-Usa and Hotaru to   
respectable ages-- within reason. It also works out a   
system by which one could age in this weird world,   
too.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	14. Endgame, part 2-- Between Scylla and Cha...

Souls of Fire #14: Endgame, part 2--   
Between Scylla and Charybdis   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Ranma's Pad, Tibetan Highlands   
  
Ranma's eyes peeled away from the old ghoul, Cologne,   
as he stepped outside the front door, his attention   
now fixated on the hovercar coming in for a landing.   
  
The old woman that served as training instructor   
stood balanced on her walking stick, standing out on   
the porch, watching the silver flying Volkswagen kick   
up the dust. "It appears you have a visitor, Son-in-   
Law," Cologne said.   
  
"Don't call me that," Ranma replied, raising his hand   
as a visor against the morning sun's rays. "How many   
times do I keep tellin' ya that?"   
  
Cologne figured out who the occupant of the car was,   
and so did Ranma, as he had seen such a vehicle come   
by before. The two living in the middle of nowhere,   
far from any crystal city, spent their days training.   
Ranma felt the call to remain training even after he   
settled down with Akane; this wooden Tibetan shack   
served as his private retreat when the martial artist   
felt like being alone.   
  
It must have been at least two weeks, he figured, but   
he wondered why Ukyo would fly all the way to the dust   
pan just to see him.   
  
As expected, the Vice Executive of the Peacekeepers   
stepped out of the left side of the car, apparently   
having traveled the distance from Geneva by herself--   
a fact Ranma found odd, as Konatsu, the friend she was   
dating, was often not far behind. He was not used to   
seeing his old friend dressed in her self-styled   
white uniform, with the only trace of familiarity being   
the giant combat spatula strapped on her back.   
  
She kept her hands in her pockets as she addressed   
him, staring directly into his eyes. "It's been a   
while, Ranchan, but I really wish this could've been a   
social call."   
  
Judging from the tone of her voice, Ranma decided   
that something finally happened, after thirty-eight   
years of peace, quiet, and boredom. It was exactly the   
kind of thing he was waiting for. "What'd I miss?"   
  
There was no form of communication to the outside   
world existing in the one-story, modest house. It was   
built only with all the comforts of home, with food   
and supplies that could last one two months, thanks to   
Cologne's experience. In fact, unless one wished to   
travel over fifty miles to the nearest village, the   
only way to leave the middle of nowhere was in the   
garage built under the ground, exiting at a sheer   
cliff. There was only one hovercar between the two   
martial artists, but neither of them felt the need to   
use it most of the time.   
  
Thus, it was very easy to lose touch with the world.   
It was the only way to get any real training done,   
after all.   
  
"Several hours ago," Ukyo explained, "six city-sized   
warships appeared all around the Earth sphere. They   
quickly took control of all our orbiting satellites,   
then proceeded to attack cities all across the globe."   
  
"The Mekani," Cologne guessed, her voice solemn.   
"Removing the satellites would prevent the use of any   
global-scale device being used against them."   
  
"What about Akane?" Ranma asked.   
  
"Oh, they're fine," the Vice Executive of the   
Peacekeepers informed him. "Both Crystal Tokyo and   
Geneva were attacked, but the invaders were repelled.   
All the ground zero locations are being evacuated even   
as we speak. Places such as Los Angeles and Moscow   
weren't so lucky... and the one that attacked Moscow   
is heading toward Beijing, probably on the way to help   
smash Crystal Tokyo."   
  
"I see," the martial artist said, relieved that Akane   
was all right, at least. "But why would they attack   
places like Los Angeles, Moscow, or Beijing? They   
don't have anything significant like Geneva or...."   
  
"It's entirely possible they're looking to spread   
terror," Cologne offered as conjecture.   
  
Ukyo shook her head. "No, the Mekani are actually   
looking for something. Before the Moscow ship left we   
got a report from our agent there that the Mekani   
raided all the museums and treasuries... even private   
collections. We haven't figured out if they took   
anything yet, but if the Los Angeles ship is still   
there, they're probably looking for something, too."   
  
"So now you guys need my help?" guessed Ranma. "I   
suppose your PKs didn't help too much, after all."   
  
"It's not like we were expecting the Mekani to come   
back this soon," Ukyo said, shrugging. "Maybe if you   
joined, we could've done something different."   
  
"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "The queen's PKs were so   
ineffective the last time it's such a joke. I'm   
finding ways to save this planet my own way."   
  
"Well, not all of us are as talented as you,   
Ranchan," she replied, without any hint of jealousy.   
"I just couldn't leave Ayame hung out to dry like Kanna   
and Shion did."   
  
"C'mon, we both know you didn't join the PKs for   
pity points. And what if I don't want to help?"   
  
"There's always Ryoga...."   
  
"Ryoga's not strong enough," Ranma interrupted,   
knowing that Ukyo knew that Ryoga all but gave up   
fighting. Truthfully, while it has been quite a while   
since he last saw his old rival, Ranma recalled that   
Ryoga was at least trying to earn an honest living for   
his wife and kids-- but doing what escaped him at the   
moment. A laborer's life wasn't for Ranma, at least.   
  
He groaned. "I hate it when you do this!"   
  
"You could do well to learn from this, Son-in-Law,"   
Cologne told him. "The whole of greatness is not in   
yourself alone, but from you to others."   
  
"Yeah, whatever," he said, shrugging. Turning back   
to Ukyo, he said, "I've been training these past years   
where nobody could get hurt, trying to make myself   
better, stronger, and faster. In that last battle I   
almost lost my life to Vizier because I was too cocky,   
but this time it's going to be different. I'll smash   
those Mekani by myself, if I have to."   
  
Ukyo nodded with a smile. "I can't wait to see."   
  
---   
  
Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress   
  
"This way," Ziel said, opening the door for Shizuka.   
  
The priestess of Genbu looked toward the fan dancer.   
"Thanks. We'd like to be alone for a while, okay?"   
  
She waited for no nod, but knew Ziel would comply.   
Shizuka entered the dark chamber that served as the   
Master Director of Section's office. Before her was a   
wall made up of monitors-- from top to bottom, from   
left to right. Each monitor glowed with a different   
picture, likely one for each Section operation.   
  
Before her was the back of a captain's chair--   
Shion's favorite-- and a desk that was almost   
completely made up of keys and switches. In effect,   
the room was a giant computer network station, and its   
controller the one sitting in the chair, with his   
back turned arrogantly toward the door.   
  
"Welcome home," Shion said, without turning around,   
in a low tone.   
  
"I see you're still playing video games," Shizuka   
said neutrally. "Still on those dating sims, or have   
you moved on from Anime?"   
  
"Anime no longer amuses me," the Director stated   
flatly. "Reality is the only true game-- a game where   
one can toy with peoples' lives at the touch of a   
button."   
  
"Then you are moving up in the world," she said   
sarcastically. "You've done well for yourself."   
  
"As have you."   
  
"Except you're still caught-up on the past."   
  
"Then why did you do it?" he asked, spinning around   
in his chair. His reflection-tinted glasses concealed   
his eyes. Shion held up his index fingers to his   
lips, as if he were interested in something.   
  
"Cut the crap, Shi," Shizuka yelled. "Do I have to   
play 'connect the dots' with you, too?"   
  
"I have all the time in the world to hear your   
explanations," he said coldly. "Why did you leave that   
day?"   
  
The priestess shook her head. "If I didn't you'd   
have followed me into space, and you wouldn't be here   
where we needed you."   
  
"So it really was Kanna's plan," he mused. "I'm yet   
a pawn, then."   
  
"Only insofar as you allow yourself to be one!"   
Shizuka cried, growing impatient. "I thought you were   
smart. You let yourself become the pawn, is all."   
  
"And that's where you're wrong," Shion said, raising   
his voice proudly. "I made plans of my own, and it's   
up to you if you want to be a part of them."   
  
"You're asking me to join you?" Shizuka asked,   
somewhat amazed. "I've seen worlds you've only dreamed   
of, and now you want me to be content with this rotten   
shell?"   
  
Shizuka quickly flicked her wrist, producing three   
steel cards. With three quick throws sparks flew from   
three points in the room, and immediately three of the   
monitors on the back wall flickered and died.   
  
"Dammit," Shion cursed.   
  
"Now quit it with your silly charade," Shizuka   
demanded. "You're blind in more ways than one."   
  
"So you've figured it out," he mused. "No amount of   
science could reverse what the system shock did to me,   
so I continued to utilize the mental control unit in   
order to make up for that." He tapped his right   
temple. "Everything I see is transmitted here, and   
thus my eyes are truly everywhere."   
  
"You wanted to see me?" Shizuka asked. "You can't   
ever see me again. Both our lives have been scarred   
too much in the last war to ever heal. I have a   
destiny to fulfill... or die trying."   
  
"And that's where you're wrong," Shion replied   
calmly. "I always see you. I always hear you. I   
always feel your soft skin and your silky hair. And,   
if I'm not mistaken, you do, too. You won't admit it;   
Kanna is merely an excuse. I am, because I've had   
forty years to think it over, and the bottom line   
is...."   
  
"I don't want to hear it," she interrupted. "If I   
want to finish what I started, I can't be allowed to   
succumb to personal desires. It's what I've been   
trained for, and by golly, Shi, I'm going to waste that   
two-timing prick Serenity, or die trying." She raised   
her hand, the same hand that was destroyed by Vizier,   
now wrapped in white bandages. "As you can see, I lost   
my hand over it, and this here is a constant reminder   
of what believing in her did. We lost our stride at   
the end of the last war, without accomplishing what we   
set out to do in the first place."   
  
"Each of us bears a scar-- a reminder-- of our   
failings as Fenril Knights. You lost your eyesight.   
Cinder lost his honor. Sypha her home. Mousse his   
vengeance. Kanna believes this battle to be only a   
continuation of the last war, and she's right. And,   
thanks to the Mekani, we can't leave the Earth the way   
it is. The world will change, or be swept aside by   
those old when the universe was young."   
  
"You see, Shi, I voluntarily went into exile because   
I needed to find my way again. Mizuki once told me   
that, if you get lost, to just stop and take the time   
to figure out where you are. Then, after getting your   
bearings, you can continue. Distancing myself from   
everything has made everything clearer, and more than   
ever I can see that the Crystal Court must go."   
  
"I see." Shion nodded slowly. "Then perhaps you'd   
be interested in my own secret weapon."   
  
Shizuka raised her eyes to the monitors, where each   
of the square blocks changed to make up the piece of a   
single, larger image. She felt her jaw drop in   
surprise, but could not find the words.   
  
"Yes, she lives," Shion replied, "as you said she   
would. The time draws near when she'll awaken, and   
then we'll have the strongest weapon imaginable to   
defeat Neo Queen Serenity and her Crystal Court. Not   
even the Mekani can withstand such potential. When   
the soul of shadow revives, the darkness will rise to   
reclaim the world it was denied. Now, I ask you again:   
will you join the winning team?"   
  
---   
  
Boddy Mansion, Los Angeles   
  
Resting on a shiny steel pedestal, quietly in its   
sheath, the Young Phoenix lay bathed in illumination of   
a spotlight from the ceiling above. The sword, of   
Japanese origin, was positively identified as to have   
existed at least in the 19th Century, and probably   
even earlier, but it was not smithed in the same   
manner as any other Japanese sword. In fact, any   
expert would note that the long sword had more in   
common with European swords than with Japanese katanas,   
yet it wasn't truly a European sword, either. Whatever   
its origin, the sword was quite valuable, and   
obviously of strong make to have endured the test of   
time-- whenever it was forged.   
  
The heavy double doors that served as the only   
entrance and exit to the collector's room burst open   
loudly, and two bloody, well-dressed security guards   
were tossed inside. Metal scraped against the   
polished marble floor, and smoke hissed beneath such   
deadly talons.   
  
Reaching up to throw off his hood with his steel   
claws, Cinder's mechanical left eye fixated on the   
prize. The obsidian-scaled salamander, a retainer from   
a bygone age, stepped past the bloodied bodies,   
tripping all laser alarms as he made his way to the   
sword known as Young Phoenix.   
  
Several more loud alarms blared when Cinder picked   
up the sword and scabbard, but he paid them no mind.   
After all, all the security measures failed to stop him   
from walking in the front door.   
  
"At last," his abyssal voice said, "I've found you."   
  
Kicking over the pedestal, Cinder turned, his robe   
swirling behind him, and backtracked the way whence he   
came. With long strides the reborn warrior made his   
way back outside, past the gaudy decorations humans   
considered beautiful, and stopped short of his exit.   
  
The courtyard, which was empty only minutes before,   
was filled to the brim with heavy Mishima robots. The   
GAIA-class, to be precise-- hulking artillery units   
armed with two gattling guns each, staring with mean   
death's head looks and glowing red eyes. Although the   
sight of the robotic hulks might scare humans, Cinder   
hungered for a real battle.   
  
Of course, no mere robots could fill such a void, he   
knew, but....   
  
"Peacekeeper," Cinder roared, his voice echoing   
throughout the courtyard, "face me, you coward!" He   
tightened his grip on the scabbard, then pulled the   
Young Phoenix free with his right claw. Flames flew   
along the same arc as the end of the pointed blade, and   
the scabbard went up in flames. "Your machines are no   
match for the sword Suzaku promised me!"   
  
Flames danced across the blade of Young Phoenix as   
Cinder rushed the machines. Each of the front line   
GAIAs opened fire, but the bullets melted the moment   
they came into contact with Cinder's flaming aura. He   
swung the sword quickly, making quick, clean cuts of   
any robot that got in his way.   
  
Mentally, Cinder counted the number of strokes he was   
making, and once he finished the twelfth, all the   
offending robots were cleaved in two, in varying   
degrees of sparking destruction. Quickly, he scanned   
the area with his mechanical eye, for some trace of the   
PK who sent the machines against him.   
  
"Coward," he hissed, before rushing to where his   
shuttle was parked. "I will not be satisfied until   
Lord Kolvar... no, my race... all our peoples... have   
been avenged." Cinder held his left hand out, and the   
Young Phoenix's scabbard reappeared, allowing him to   
sheath the magical weapon. "With the power of a true   
god behind me, I will not lose!"   
  
---   
  
Only seconds went by since Cinder made his way back   
toward his command ship's shuttle that one lone figure   
emerged from the mansion. Surveying the damage that   
one lone warrior-- a kami-- had done to military   
hardware, Shingo Tsukino whistled, impressed.   
  
"Looks like the game's becoming a bit more   
interesting," he said, producing a cell phone. It was   
time to inform the boss of the turn of events.   
  
---   
  
Office of the CEO, Peacekeeper HQ   
  
"So they're after certain artifacts, Your Majesty,"   
Ayame explained, as Neo Queen Serenity and her court   
listened in on the other end of the transmission. "If   
I'm not mistaken, the Basilisk must've found something   
in Moscow, too, and is looking for something else in   
Beijing."   
  
"Any idea what they may be searching for?" asked the   
world monarch.   
  
She shook her head. "Haven't a clue, although my   
agent in Los Angeles tells me a rare sword was taken...   
one with dubious origins."   
  
"Perhaps they are searching for weapons used in the   
time before the rise of the kami," suggested Sailor   
Mercury.   
  
"It would make sense, if it's Cinder, to find   
something stronger than he is," Sailor Mars added.   
  
"More than ever, we need to find a way to end the   
war," Neo Queen Serenity interrupted. "I am willing to   
listen to any suggestions you may offer."   
  
"I have an idea," Mercury replied immediately. "We   
have numerous samples of Mekani technology in our   
hands. With those we can easily find a way to   
interrupt their communications to their Hive mind."   
  
"Tried that," Ayame said. "They're rotating   
frequencies on a seemingly-random basis."   
  
"If it's just 'seemingly-random,' then there's a way   
to figure it out, then," Sailor Venus pointed out.   
  
"But it won't be enough," continued Mercury. "Based   
on this knowledge we will have to disrupt all   
communications frequencies... even the ones the Mekani   
aren't using."   
  
"Even so," Ayame pointed out, "they've at least got   
guys like Shion on their side. Stuff like that won't   
work for long."   
  
"It doesn't have to," Mercury replied. "It would   
only serve as a distraction for our real plans."   
  
"And that is?"   
  
"We take out the leaders," Mars answered. "Right?"   
  
"But we don't know for sure which one has the big   
boss on it, do we?" asked Jupiter.   
  
"It would not be wise to spread our forces too thin,"   
agreed King Endymion.   
  
"We should take out both Scylla and Charybdis,"   
Sailor Saturn said, speaking up for the first time   
since the meeting started. Elaborating further, she   
added, "We know all the communications go to and from   
the Scylla, right? But the enemy also isn't stupid...   
and why have the Charybdis in the first place? They're   
up to something."   
  
"I agree," Ayame said. "Taking out both would   
unbalance the Mekani forces, and make sure that they   
don't get clever and switch ships on us."   
  
"Question is, what'll we do once we get there?"   
asked Venus.   
  
"Take out the leader," Mars answered, "and the ship,   
if it comes to that."   
  
But Mercury shook her head. "Destroying the ship is   
too dangerous. Especially the Scylla, because it is   
large enough to make a significant impact at the North   
Pole. Also, if it generates enough heat, the polar ice   
caps will melt and flood the rest of the world."   
  
"So we'll just have to be extra-careful," Jupiter   
said, shrugging.   
  
All eyes turned toward Neo Queen Serenity. "Very   
well, then. I want all of you to prepare this plan of   
yours, but we must also consider that the Mekani will   
also continue to target the world's cities. Ayame, I   
leave that part up to you and your people."   
  
The Chief Executive nodded. "You can count on me."   
  
---   
  
Altar of the Sun, Shrine of the Four Gods   
  
Ever since being abandoned long ago the Shrine of the   
Four Gods remained vacant until Neo Queen Serenity   
approved of converting the unused space into a research   
center. Today, long after such an institution began,   
the Shrine compound became vacant yet again, save for   
one hovercar and a triple-star-shaped Mekani shuttle,   
each left vacant in the courtyard.   
  
Kneeling in prayer before the altar dedicated to the   
sun, and the nexus of the Four Gods, was Shizuka,   
dressed in formal robes of her profession, adding what   
little ornaments to her hair to make herself   
presentable to the gods. She knew that some of those   
ornaments belonged to Mizuki, her mentor, once, but   
since she passed away Shizuka thought it fitting that   
she would use them in her memory. However, the one   
piece that she refused to touch was the crown ornament,   
which was too much a part of Mizuki that Shizuka felt   
she was unworthy of wearing it, as she was neither   
graceful nor as wise as the mentor. At her side lay   
two sheathed swords, with the head of a viper molded in   
the pommels.   
  
She raised her head slightly, and called out, "Are   
you going to kill me or not?"   
  
Emerging from the shadows near the door Ranma and   
Ukyo stepped out to the aisle, having remained quiet   
up to that point.   
  
"Somehow," Ukyo said, "when I heard that this place   
was attacked, I knew it would be you."   
  
"You're a long way from home," Shizuka replied,   
collecting her swords, then standing to her feet and   
turning around to face the intruders. "And you,   
Ranma... nice to see you again."   
  
"Haven't seen your face in a while," the martial   
artist replied. "I hear you've been busy."   
  
"I imagine so," the priestess said neutrally.   
  
"What are you doing?" demanded Ukyo, her right hand   
reaching into her inner jacket pocket. "Why have you   
sided with the enemy?"   
  
"Which one?"   
  
"The Mekani, of course!"   
  
"There's many enemies... it's only you've got to   
choose which one will have the least detrimental effect   
in the long run."   
  
"Don't talk in riddles!" demanded Ranma impatiently.   
"Your buddies are killing people all around the world!"   
  
"Sometimes death is a merciful release." Her eyes   
glowed pale-white as Deathclaw took over. "Tell me,   
Ranma Saotome, do you enjoy your immortality?"   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"Don't play stupid with me," the ghost dragon said,   
speaking with Shizuka's lips. "I've suffered   
immortality far longer than you know. I've met others   
who have lived just as long. Your human comrade,   
Master Higure, suffered immortality for a thousand   
years... to be released of such a terrible fate for   
only a short while before being thrown back to it."   
  
"You've met Master Higure?" asked Ukyo, surprised.   
  
"This girl wishes to renew acquaintances with those   
she left behind," Deathclaw admitted. "Whether it be   
secret underworld bases, high mountain peaks, or a   
simple house where her brother lives... I watched it   
all. It is not difficult to find those who do not wish   
to be found for one such as I."   
  
"So Masture Higure is still alive..." the Vice   
Executive of the PKs mused, knowing that the old man   
and his Orochi colleagues disappeared since the last   
war.   
  
"You know," Ranma said, "being young is great and   
all, but I wouldn't want to stay young forever. Even   
if it means I can watch my kids grow up and get married   
and all...."   
  
"Then you do understand its curse," Deathclaw said.   
  
"Still, it gives me plenty of time to do what I want   
to do," the martial artist added.   
  
"Enjoy it while it lasts, boy," the ghost dragon   
said, his voice rumbling. "There are others who would   
deign to battle with you, and they, too, have improved   
with time."   
  
Closing her eyes, the priestess of Genbu walked down   
the aisle, heading for the door. The moment she tried   
to pass between Ranma and Ukyo, the Vice Executive   
held the girl's arm fast.   
  
"Hold it. You're not going anywhere this time."   
  
"Watch me," Shizuka said, resuming control. "I've   
plenty more people to see. And please don't disrespect   
Mizuki while you're here." She forced her arm with   
surprising strength, throwing off Ukyo's hold.   
  
"Wait a minute," Ranma called, and Shizuka froze in   
place. "What about your hand?"   
  
Without turning back Shizuka raised her bandaged   
hand, as if noticing it for the first time. "What of   
it?"   
  
"Shouldn't it have healed by now?"   
  
"Maybe. Maybe not."   
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"   
  
"Don't be so quick to assume you know everything,"   
Shizuka suggested. She pulled at the bandages, quickly   
unwinding them from around her hand-- and holding it   
up for Ranma to see. "As you can see, the exterior is   
nothing to what lies on the interior."   
  
The hand was replaced by a twisted, spectral claw,   
much like the substance Deathclaw was made of.   
  
"A little piece of advice, Ranma," she added,   
ignoring Ukyo's presence. "Don't choose a side until   
you've gathered all the facts, because not everything   
is as it seems."   
  
Ukyo cast Ranma a serious glare. "What? You're not   
going to let it off like that, are you?"   
  
"That's my line," Ranma complained. "And besides...   
she's got a point. Something else is going on that   
we aren't seeing... besides why the Mekani haven't   
wiped us out yet. Aren't they supposed to be the   
galactic locusts?"   
  
"Do you suppose that Wiseman somehow usurped control   
of the Mekani when he got to them?" she speculated.   
  
"Who knows?" the martial artist said with a shrug.   
He folded his hands behind his head as he watched   
Shizuka's shuttle take off. "We've still got a city to   
save, though...."   
  
---   
  
Soon the two old friends were back in the hovercar.   
Ranma stared out the passenger side window, down to the   
abandoned Shrine complex, and watched as it disappeared   
as the car picked-up speed.   
  
A loud beep almost made the martial artist jump, but   
he knew it was the car phone. He heard Ukyo turn it   
on, flipping a switch on the dash. "Ukyo speaking,   
who's calling?"   
  
Ranma's interests perked, as he knew as well as Ukyo   
that, without control of the communications satellites   
in orbit, they shouldn't be able to receive or send   
transmissions. At least, not through something as   
conventional as a car phone. "What the...?"   
  
"There was one thing I forgot to mention," came the   
voice of Shizuka, her voice coming clear in   
transmission. "Kuonji, block this out; you didn't   
hear."   
  
"But I'm the one driving the car," she pointed out.   
  
They heard the priestess groan in frustration.   
"Okay, fine. Saotome, Hokuto's alive."   
  
Shizuka allowed herself a momentary pause as Ranma   
realized the implications of the news. He remembered   
Hokuto Takemasa clearly-- that she was a perverted girl   
that somehow liked him, whether he was a guy or a   
girl. It wasn't the fact that she knew Ranma was   
really a guy that pushed her to it, but more that her   
tastes were perverted, and that scared him. And yet,   
despite all that the Shadow Weaver managed to save him   
from his own stupidity in the last battle against   
Vizier.   
  
Ranma was certain she couldn't have survived. "How?"   
  
"We'll never know for sure," Shizuka said carefully,   
keeping her voice even, "at least, until she wakes up.   
You can't let her wake up; she's in a coma, and Section   
has her. They intend to use her as a weapon, to take   
out whoever wins this little war."   
  
"So Shion is playing both sides, huh?" Ukyo   
concluded. "That changes everything."   
  
"You and I both know what she can do with her shadow   
power," Shizuka continued, her voice carrying a sense   
of urgency, "and you have to keep her from waking up.   
She's not the same as before."   
  
"So what am I supposed to do?" asked Ranma, feeling   
confused. "Don'cha know girls don't quit when they're   
around me?"   
  
"If you have to, kill her," suggested the priestess.   
"That thing Section has is not Hokuto. Trust me on   
this; you'll be doing her, and the world, a favor.   
Section will not be able to control or contain her for   
very long. You owe her this."   
  
"Don't you dare say that!" Ranma shouted angrily,   
and Ukyo flinched in response. "She means nothing to   
me!"   
  
"Then keep quiet!" Ukyo warned, casting a cold stare   
at the martial artist.   
  
"I'm not going to make you promise," Shizuka added.   
"Either way... I'm transmitting the coordinates and   
codes to get you into Section Inner Circle. What you   
do with it is up to you, but if you're truly a fighter   
for Earth, you have to keep her from waking-up. It CAN   
get worse than the Mekani. I'm going to do my part in   
saving this world, and I suggest you do the same. And   
that might also mean you, too, Kuonji."   
  
With that, the priestess of Genbu terminated the   
link, her voice replaced by static. Ukyo quickly   
turned the phone off, and noted that her car computer   
was receiving the aforementioned data.   
  
"Well," she said, "if we do this we won't be there to   
help Crystal Tokyo. On the other hand, if Shizuka's   
right, then we can't afford to let something like this   
happen... unless she's exaggerating again."   
  
Ranma folded his arms, trying his best to look   
indifferent. "Hokuto's Shizuka's friend; it's her   
problem. Besides, I don't owe her anything."   
  
"Who? Shizuka, or Hokuto?"   
  
"Shizuka, of course!" he replied quickly. "She wants   
me to do her dirty work. And besides, she's asking me   
to kill someone. I don't do that kind of stuff."   
  
"She didn't ask you to kill Hokuto... that is, if   
Hokuto really is still alive," Ukyo pointed out. "But,   
you do owe it to Hokuto, right? Even if it is a trap   
and all...."   
  
The Vice Executive sighed. "If Section were holding   
me, would you come after me?"   
  
"Of course," Ranma answered. "Everyone knows I take   
care of my friends."   
  
Ukyo shook her head. "No way, the Ranma I know helps   
anybody, even people he doesn't like. You helped out   
Pantyhose Taro that one time, didn't you?"   
  
"Hmph. What of it?"   
  
"So why is it so different with Hokuto?"   
  
Ranma turned and faced the driver. "It's probably   
the same deal with you and Tsubasa. Remember him?"   
  
She nodded. "Okay, bad example. But, you know   
Shizuka doesn't like lying and stuff. You know how she   
gets all bent out of shape when someone lies to her.   
She's probably telling the truth. And if that's the   
case, we're all in danger... from what, I don't know.   
I don't know anything about the shadow stuff. Then,   
if not for Hokuto, then what about everybody else?"   
  
"You're just not going to quit, are ya?" he asked   
finally.   
  
Ukyo punched up the data Shizuka sent, and a map with   
a blinking dot appeared on the dashboard screen.   
"Well, well, well. The best place to hide something   
IS in plain sight, huh?"   
  
---   
  
International Airport, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Shingo hated waiting for baggage claim, wondering   
when his traveling possessions would arrive on the   
conveyor belt. His sentiments were shared with the   
rest of those occupying the most dismal room in the   
airport.   
  
Although there was a general order for the population   
to evacuate the city, some people, including Shingo,   
still had business to take care of there. It was his   
and the other co-workers to convene at Crystal Tokyo,   
to assist in the operations. He regretted leaving Los   
Angeles without informing Chika of his plans, but   
nothing could be helped when duty called.   
  
Despite the fact there were only twenty people on   
the flight, baggage claim was still taking its sweet   
time. So much for progress, he thought.   
  
Shingo's thoughts drifted back to Chika, and he   
wondered when it would all end.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Everyone seemed busy, preparing for the inevitable   
climatic battle against the Mekani. For six straight   
hours Usagi, the princess of the world, felt like she   
was doing nothing.   
  
The Peacekeepers, she mused, even with such limited   
power, are doing their best to defend this world as   
best as they can. The Sailor soldiers are preparing   
likewise, ready to give up their lives, if necessary.   
Even Hotaru.   
  
She visited each of them one-by-one in their own   
locales throughout the palace, each preparing one thing   
in particular. Each time she offered to help, they   
would smile and thank her, but nonetheless refuse the   
offer. It was as if she wasn't required to do anything   
at all, and that bothered Usagi more than fighting the   
Mekani.   
  
Entering the Inner Sanctum without waiting for   
permission, she found her mother, the world monarch,   
stading with her back to the door, staring into a   
mirror-- apparently at her own reflection. Usagi knew   
well-enough that it was a communications mirror-- a   
device that did not rely on the satellite network to   
function-- and it was likely her mother had finished   
talking with someone.   
  
"Mom...."   
  
"Yes, dear?" the queen replied, apparently not   
surprised, nor angered, that she intruded.   
  
"Everybody else is doing something to beat the   
Mekani," the princess said, "but nobody's telling me   
what they're doing, or letting me help. What good is   
it to be the princess, if you're not supposed to do   
anything?"   
  
Neo Queen Serenity turned around to face her   
daughter, relief in her eyes. She smiled slightly.   
"They are your friends. They wish to defend this world   
that you will one day rule, and it is your safety they   
are most concerned with."   
  
"I can take care of myself!" Usagi beamed. "You were   
the princess once, right? You were Sailor Moon! Did   
they always try to stop you from helping?"   
  
The queen laughed lightly. "At times, yes. They   
sometimes placed my life over their own, but in the end   
their lives are important as well."   
  
At that moment Usagi wondered if her mother was   
staring at a real mirror, even if the true mirror was   
behind her. "Then I just help anyway, right?"   
  
"If you feel the need to."   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Scylla   
  
Mezzat and its guest re-entered the command station,   
as communications screens from the other five warships   
flickered to life. The Director of the campaign   
scrutinized each monitor before it with its small eye,   
noting that one of the ship commanders was missing,   
replaced by the Mekani aide.   
  
"I note Shizuka has disappeared," it said neutrally.   
  
"She is away," the Kraken aide reported. "All   
administrative operations have been delegated to this   
unit if she does not return in time."   
  
"Then where did she run-off to this time?" demanded   
the guest, her patience wearing thin.   
  
"It does not matter," came the transmission from the   
Charybdis, represented by a glowing, wispy cloud-   
entity. "The operation proceeds on-schedule regardless   
of her vanishing trick."   
  
Mezzat regarded the energy being-- a Mystral, one of   
the member races-- thoughtfully. The entity was known   
as Zedaji, who was considered of low station among his   
people. This Mystral, although possessing no physical   
form, was a valuable ally to the campaign. Zedaji, for   
his part, wished only to advance in station in   
relation to the rest of his people. At any rate, he   
was doing his part well.   
  
"We have the sword, Young Phoenix," Cinder reported.   
"There is no further need for the charade; I move that   
we attack Crystal Tokyo and wipe out the enemy at   
once."   
  
"Hey, that's MY turf!" Mousse complained. "I'm not   
done calibrating the Eyes yet...."   
  
"Forget the Eyes!" the salamander snarled. "A true   
warrior needs not such gimmicks or trickery! Only   
one's own skill can determine the strength of the   
warrior."   
  
"And it's no wonder you lost face," came the Basilisk   
commander. "You limit your options on purpose."   
  
"I retain dignity!" Cinder claimed.   
  
"Silence!" demanded the guest. "Infighting was what   
destroyed us before; we will not deal with it now!"   
  
"Operations will commence as in the revised outline,"   
Director Mezzat added.   
  
"The Basilisk is nearing position," the ship   
commander reported. "We should have the Dragon Beard   
in our hands shortly."   
  
"Then all we're missing is the Rings," Mousse said.   
"How long's THAT going to take?"   
  
"Ask Shizuka," the Basilisk suggested. "That is, if   
you can find out where she joy-rided to."   
  
"Attacks will commence simultaneously with the   
Beijing raid," Mezzat ordered, repeating the   
recommendation in the revised orders. "The Hydra will   
join with the Griffin forces in subjugating Crystal   
Tokyo. Charybdis and Kraken will retain their   
current positions and proceed as before."   
  
"I assure you, we will arrive shortly," Cinder said.   
  
"It won't get there before Basilisk makes it to   
Beijing," the guest pointed out.   
  
"Then I will simply take a shuttle there," the   
salamander decided. "The Hydra will arrive when it   
does, but I am more than enough reinforcement."   
  
"All targets will be eliminated at once," Mezzat   
continued. "Destroy the Silver Crystal at all costs,   
and destroy all obstacles that stand in its path."   
  
---   
  
Twilight   
  
"What are we fighting for, I wonder?"   
  
"I've seen all facets, seen all sides of the conflict   
from meeting those that are my allies, and those that   
are my enemies... and those I never expected. The   
Crystal Court and the Peacekeepers fight for peace.   
The Fenril Knights fought because the ideals of Neo   
Queen Serenity destroyed human nature as we know it.   
The Mekani fight because something on Earth represents   
that which their alliance is against. And now, Section   
fights because history is repeating itself."   
  
"In bringing everlasting peace the Crystal Court has   
failed. In bringing human nature back to Earth the   
Fenril Knights have failed. In achieving universal   
harmony the Mekani have failed. In ending the cycle of   
hatred Section has failed. Each of them have only   
succeeding in amplifying that which they sought to   
destroy, and now it is up to those who wish to break   
the cycle to save us all."   
  
"But no, only the Fenril Knights have truly failed.   
The rest can still rectify their mistakes, because it   
isn't too late. I only hope those others realize what   
they're doing before the cycle repeats itself a fourth   
time."   
  
"With the dawn of Crystal Earth there came the fall   
of the soldiers-- discarded and forgotten by Earth.   
Those fighting spirits were defeated, but instead of   
reintegration back into society they were banished. It   
only served to usher the First Black Moon War, where   
these soldiers' descendants returned for revenge. They   
were thwarted, but the hatred in the survivors did   
continue to burn. A Second Black Moon War erupted,   
where the angers and hatreds from the last war left   
unresolved sought vengeance. They, too, were defeated   
and banished. And now that this Third Black Moon War   
is in full-swing... the hatred still burns. These wars   
are all fueled by hatred, because the people of Earth   
are unwilling to stand for their peace."   
  
"I guess that's what it all boils down to. The wars   
keep coming because Earth isn't willing to fight to   
keep its peace. No; before a fifth conflict breaks   
out, I will make sure to make these humans understand   
it as I have."   
  
"Mizuki, my eyes are open. I finally understand what   
it means to be a part of the human race. I finally   
understand why I'm a priestess of Genbu-- I will defend   
this world from all who threaten it. If not the   
sealed Mekani and the kami of the parallel world in the   
old days... those that would threaten Earth today...   
external and internal."   
  
"Shion... Hokuto... I hope you realize this one day,   
and I'm sorry.... I still have to do my part."   
  
"Neo Queen Serenity... your rule will end today."   
  
---   
  
Siege Zone, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Thousands of spheroid Mekani warriors circled the   
Crystal Palace in the emptied streets. Rows and   
columns of the mechanized units waited patiently in a   
twenty-meter radius around the outside walls, waiting   
patiently for no apparent reason. Aerial spheroids,   
equipped with superior rocket boosters, flew between   
structures as they patrolled the ranks, flashing search   
lights emitted from their smaller eyes.   
  
Any and all of those people who wished to aid in   
protecting the palace were in for a disappointment, as   
the columns, spanning for almost a mile, refused to   
allow anyone in the midst of their ranks-- proving a   
disservice to the Peacekeeper agents summoned to   
assist in the coming battle. Each of them were ready   
to deal with the coming battle, bringing their own   
secretly-constructed weapons, ranging from the old-   
model Mishima robots used by the Fenril Knights to new   
needle-projection cannons that operated on the rail gun   
principle.   
  
The Peacekeeper office in the city, located in the   
old Mishima Heavy Industries high-rise away from the   
palace, served as the command center for operations.   
While it was not expected to get attacked by the   
single-minded Mekani, it had its own fair share of   
defenses.   
  
The director of operations sat at the desk, and   
openned a channel to the main office. "CT office   
reporting. All is in place, and we're basically   
waiting for the Mekani to do something."   
  
"At least it still buys us some time," Ayame Mishima   
replied. "Our diversion isn't quite ready yet. The   
Basilisk will arrive at the outskirts of Beijing in a   
few minutes, and we think they're going to synchronize   
attacks again."   
  
"So what should we expect out of this 'diversion?'"   
  
Ayame shrugged. "Beats me. You'll know it when you   
see it. Over and out."   
  
---   
  
"Plain sight is right," Ranma said, agreeing with   
Ukyo's previous statement. "Who would've thought that   
Section's home base would be in this place?"   
  
Ukyo shrugged, punching in the codes Shizuka gave   
her earlier. They already passed through three   
security doors to get to where they were, and she had   
no doubt that Shion was monitoring them, but there was   
nothing to be done about it.   
  
It was somewhat of a surprise to learn that the Inner   
Circle was in fact located in Crystal Tokyo, the same   
seat as to where Shion hoped to overthrow the   
government. Not only that, but the 'hidden' entrance   
was in nothing more inconspicuous than the local Neo   
Geo Land arcade center-- a rather vain location, to be   
sure. For a moment the Vice Executive wondered how   
arrogant Shion could get.   
  
"Got it," she announced, having inputted the code and   
receiving a green light in response. The security door   
before them hissed open, revealing a spiral series of   
stairs downward. "I guess this is it."   
  
"If it goes down any farther," Ranma observed, "we   
could even hit our old base."   
  
The old underground Fenril base, Ukyo knew. She   
wondered herself if Shion was making use of what was   
left there. "For all we know it's only a separate   
block of it, and it was there the whole time. I never   
went through the whole thing myself."   
  
"He probably did."   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Griffin   
  
Mousse folded his arms, viewing the main monitor and   
watching its view follow the path of Cinder's tri-star-   
shaped shuttle arrive ahead of the Hydra. He snorted,   
disappointed that the kami beast would think he needed   
help.   
  
No, it was more like Cinder was going to steal some   
of his kills.   
  
He heard something skittish behind him, and knew it   
was only the Mekani aide. "The Eyes have been fully-   
adjusted to your specification, sir."   
  
"Good," the Master of Hidden Weapons said, pleased   
with the news. Even if he was a warrior, that never   
barred him from taking advantage of whatever was at his   
disposal. After all, underestimating the Sailor Senshi   
in the last war nearly killed him and any chance to   
avenge Shampoo.   
  
Four disc-like objects floated in front of him, each   
possessing a single lens-eye projecting from one of   
the sides. While anyone would think the Eyes were   
merely watchers, Mousse knew better.   
  
He looked down onto his shirt, and held up the set of   
prayer beads he wore. Not simply a set of beads, the   
Beads of Naoe were given to him after the Basilisk raid   
on Moscow. Such a priceless treasure, on par with the   
ability of Cinder's Young Phoenix, would make sure he   
could compete with the Sailor Senshi on even-- or   
greater-- terms.   
  
"This time," he vowed, "the end result will be   
different!"   
  
---   
  
Siege Zone, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Neo Queen Serenity stood out the highest balcony of   
the Crystal Palace, and surveyed the battlefield   
before her. Down at the gates were the Sailor Senshi--   
Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and her   
daughter, arrayed against innumerable numbers of the   
Mekani horde. She watched as a Mekani shuttle arrived   
on the scene, and two people emerged from it-- Mousse   
and Cinder, she knew.   
  
She felt her husband behind her put a hand over her   
shoulder. "Do not worry, for the day shall be won."   
  
The world monarch said nothing, instead recalling the   
words she spoke to her soldiers before watching them   
leave the gates. It was no simple task to order   
people to march to their deaths, even when they were   
willing, as life is the most precious thing in the   
universe. The plans and preparations made have to   
work, for the sake of Earth.   
  
"Come back safely, my friends...."   
  
---   
  
Even knowing that she really had no place in the   
plans made by her friends, Sailor Moon felt that she   
belonged there.   
  
No one asked her to leave while the Sailor Senshi   
were making their plans, and no one gave a second   
thought to her being a part of the plan.   
  
Looking toward Sailor Mercury, she asked, "How long   
is it?"   
  
Mercury continued to watch Mousse and Cinder emerge   
from their shuttle. "Any moment now. Trust in Ayame   
to take care of things...."   
  
"So we're waiting on her?" she asked.   
  
"Actually, we're waiting on the Mekani," Venus   
said. "If we act too soon they'll have time to stop   
us. They have to make the first move."   
  
"In Chess," Mars added, "even though black moves   
second, doesn't mean white, which moves first, will   
always win. They can orchestrate the battle, but if we   
provide a good enough counter we can reverse it."   
  
"Sailor Senshi!" Cinder cried, raising his sheathed   
sword up in the air. His abyssal voice made goosebumps   
on Sailor Moon's arms. "I fight to reclaim the honor   
which was lost to me! By exterminating my people I was   
unable to defend them or my honor! As the sole   
surviving retainer of Lord Kolvar na Strakil, I   
challenge you!"   
  
"Why?" Sailor Moon asked, keeping her voice low as to   
the Mekani commanders could not hear. "Why would they   
side with the Mekani to avenge...?"   
  
"It's the same as us," Sailor Saturn answered. "We   
fight for the sake of the princess. We would put down   
our lives for you, if need be. But this warrior,   
Cinder, was unable to defend his lord and master. He   
will not rest until we are dead, or he's dead."   
  
"But...."   
  
"I destroyed them," she continued. "If it wasn't for   
me people like Cinder wouldn't have the need to   
continue fighting. I used the power of Death   
selfishly then, but even as I changed I still must make   
amends for it."   
  
Saturn stepped forward, and raised her voice.   
"Cinder, retainer of Kolvar! It is I, Sailor Saturn,   
who you have issue with!"   
  
"What are you doing?" demanded Sailor Moon.   
  
She looked back, and offered a smile. "Trust me."   
  
Cinder leaned forward, scrutinizing the girl with   
his mechanical eye. "I have no issue with you...   
Sailor Saturn. What could one as young as you...."   
  
"Know that I possess the power of Death," Saturn   
interrupted. She waved her arm to the others. "They   
had no hand in the annihilation of the kami. I alone   
should bear that blame, because I abused the power   
entrusted to me for a selfish end. Death is the most   
impartial judge, and if it suits you, then try to take   
my life, but leave my friends alone."   
  
The salamander tapped his snout, as if thinking the   
issue over. "Well spoken, Sailor Saturn, but I will   
not allow you to take sole blame as such."   
  
"Do you believe I lie?" Saturn raised her Silence   
Glaive, as if angered.   
  
Cinder snorted in amusement, grasping the handle of   
his sword. "Amusing," he noted, unsheathing the blade   
and allowing the scabbard to dissipate in flame. "You   
do understand the Way of the Warrior!"   
  
"Watch her," warned Mousse. "She's stronger than   
she looks."   
  
"It does not matter," he assured the human. "I   
longed for this moment. The rest of them are yours to   
deal with as you please!"   
  
Mousse smirked devilishly. "I thought you'd never   
say so!" He raised his index finger up in the air.   
"All units," he ordered, thrusting his arm toward the   
palace, "attack!"   
  
"Now!" Sailor Mercury shouted, sending a signal   
through her computer.   
  
---   
  
"Do it," ordered the Peacekeeper commander, pushing a   
button on the desk computer.   
  
---   
  
"Eh?" Mousse gulped, noting that the Mekani warriors   
behind him had yet to charge at his command. He   
turned his head to glance over his shoulder, and saw   
that the well-formed columns had fallen into   
disarray. The drones were running into each other.   
  
"What the hell is this?!" he cried, turning toward   
Cinder, but the warrior had already rushed to meet   
Sailor Saturn at the half-way point between him and   
the Sailor Senshi... save that the five girls had   
vanished.   
  
"Dammit!"   
  
---   
  
Office of the CEO, Peacekeeper HQ   
  
Ayame congratulated herself as her agents from all   
attack points that the Mekani drones were falling into   
disarray. She folded her arms and sat back in her   
seat in amusement.   
  
"Kanna," she said, "you got so reckless with those   
drones of yours. By providing us with enough bodies   
to test your Mekani technology with, and by using our   
own satellites, we can easily disrupt the   
communications network you use to direct orders to the   
drones. By flooding every frequency with garbage you   
won't be able to relay them orders on any channel but   
our own PK channel. Good luck; you'll never find the   
right frequency in time."   
  
"And even if you do, the Sailor Senshi have plenty of   
time to scour the Scylla and Charybdis to shut-down   
your operation for good."   
  
"I'd like to see how you're getting out of this one,   
my dear Kanna."   
  
---   
  
Inner Circle, Section Secret Fortress   
  
"Very amusing, Ayame," Shion said, watching the   
chaotic horde of Mekani drones on his monitors. "I   
never thought you had it in you... but we can't allow   
this."   
  
He reached to the console, to the nearest agent he   
strategically put in place. "Terminate the link at   
Crystal Tokyo. That receives priority; do not allow   
them to continue broadcasting their pirate   
transmissions."   
  
"Hold it!"   
  
Shion froze in place, knowing who the voice belonged   
to. "Well, I never expected you to come."   
  
"Game's up, Shion," Ukyo said. "Your security is   
pathetic."   
  
"Looks like Shizuka was on the level, after all,"   
Ranma noted. "Where's Hokuto?"   
  
"Hokuto?" the Section Director said. "I don't know   
what you're talking about.   
  
"Cut the crap!" the martial artist shouted, spinning   
Shion's chair around. "We know you have her!"   
  
"Is that you, Ranma Saotome?" Shion asked. "Well.   
It seems Shizuka did a very thorough job. So she   
defected to your side, or did you defect to her's? Or   
rather, did you defect to my side?"   
  
"You wanted us to come in; why?" demanded Ukyo.   
"There were so many chances for you to stop us, but you   
didn't."   
  
"Wait a minute," the martial artist said, looking   
back toward his old friend. "Who's side is Shizuka on,   
anyway?"   
  
"The same side we're all on," Shion stated. "The   
side of Earth."   
  
"Then what the hell are you doing, playing both sides   
against each other?" the PK Vice Executive demanded.   
  
"I assume it was already explained to you. Whoever   
is left standing I can wipe-out easily. It doesn't   
matter, really, because despite what you think, I'm not   
interested in taking over the world."   
  
"Then what do you want?"   
  
"I want to eliminate any and all crutches the Earth   
has, and force it to stand on its own, as it forgot to   
do long ago. Without the protection of Neo Queen   
Serenity or the Sailor Senshi, people may develop the   
courage necessary to rise on their own and grow-up   
again. If the Mekani win, I'll dispose of them. If   
the Crystal Court wins, I'll dispose of them in a   
similar manner. Either way, Earth will survive."   
  
"But you can't use Hokuto like a weapon!" Ranma   
cried angrily. "She's a human being!"   
  
"Hokuto's not what she used to be," Shion insisted.   
"That which I possess is merely a shell-- a parody of   
the real girl we knew. Even if she does turn against   
us, there'll still be people like you to stand up to   
her. Earth will find a way to defeat obstacles."   
  
"You're so damn confident in the human race," the   
martial artist said. "Don't you know what she can do   
to all of us?"   
  
"I can't let you stop me now," the Director stated   
simply. "Ziel...."   
  
Ranma felt something slam against him, and a similar   
blast hit Ukyo as well, throwing them against the wall   
like rag dolls. Emerging from a shadowy corner Ziel   
Kagura appeared, his stylized rising sun fan held open   
in his left hand. He snapped it shut quickly, waiting   
for his opponents to make a move.   
  
"Don't hurt them too much," Shion ordered, flipping   
a switch on his chair. The floor lowered beneath him.   
"Keep them busy until Hokuto wakes up. I'm counting   
on you."   
  
"You got it," Ziel replied.   
  
Ranma raised himself from the floor just as Shion's   
chair disappeared, and he regarded Ziel with anger.   
"Wha... do you really want to destroy the world THAT   
bad?!"   
  
"Believe me," Ziel said, "we only have the best   
interests at heart. Even if our methods are vastly   
different, PK or Section, our goals were always the   
same. But, unlike the PKs, we can't ignore the   
conflict by sweeping it under the rug."   
  
"I am a Wind-User," he continued. "Inheriting the   
blood of demons, the wind is at my command. I've   
studied your technique, Ranma, and your most powerful   
abilities are wind-based."   
  
"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" asked Ranma,   
forcing himself to his feet. He glanced toward Ukyo,   
who was coming around herself. "You think you can beat   
me? You're not even a martial artist!"   
  
"Ukyo," he ordered, "find Hokuto and get out of   
here!"   
  
"Right!" she acknowledged, but before she could get   
to her feet she felt the wind slice before her.   
  
Both martial artists glanced back toward Ziel, who   
held his folded fan at the end of a cutting arc. "No,   
I'm supposed to entertain the both of you. Sorry, but   
it's nothing personal."   
  
"Swell," muttered Ranma. "Then we'll just have to   
make this quick."   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Charybdis   
  
Sailor Venus and Sailor Jupiter emerged from their   
teleport, landing right in the belly of the beast. To   
their surprise, the bridge's lights were dimmed very   
low, and any of the Mekani drones in sight were shut-   
down and inactive.   
  
"Well, here we are," Jupiter said, "but where's the   
commander?"   
  
"Looks like we hit the wrong one, after all," Venus   
said, sounding someone defeated and relieved at the   
same time. She scanned the area a second time, just to   
make sure the command deck really was inactive.   
  
Jupiter shivered. "I don't like this. Why would the   
Mekani go through all this trouble to build a decoy?"   
  
"I don't know...."   
  
Both Sailor Senshi felt a presence behind them, and   
their shadows before them elongated.   
  
"Welcome to the Charybdis, Sailor Senshi," the   
energy entity said, his voice a mere whisper in their   
ears. "They call me Zedaji, of the Mystral Whole, and   
you would make fine trophies!"   
  
Both Sailor soldiers turned around, each jumping in   
surprise at the sight of the will'o wisp-like creature   
hovering before them. As it spoke its bright nucleus   
at its center vibrated. "And that over there will be   
the entertainment."   
  
The two girls turned around again, noting the command   
door hissing open. Loud clomping of steps could be   
heard, and each knew well-enough that a Mekani was   
emerging.   
  
The creature appeared not unlike the beast Mousse   
was using against the princess earlier, and it stared   
at Jupiter and Venus with its huge eye blankly.   
  
"Charybdis Enforcer," Zedaji ordered, as the light   
gradually faded, "initiate attack!"   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Scylla   
  
Sailor Moon opened her eyes, her view of the   
courtyard replaced with that of a metal structure's   
interior. Beside her, Sailor Mars and Mercury tensed   
themselves, forming a makeshift circle around the   
princess.   
  
"It's dark in here," Moon complained.   
  
"Shh!!" ordered Mars. "They're watching us!"   
  
Although Sailor Moon could make out Mekani drones   
in the dim lighting, it appeared that they were   
ignoring the intruders. She wondered if their plan   
really worked.   
  
"Maybe we got the wrong ship?" wondered Mercury.   
  
"Greetings, Sailor Senshi," came a voice out of the   
darkness. "We've been expecting you for quite some   
time. Did you only JUST decide to join us?"   
  
All three pairs of eyes faced the command door, which   
hissed open quickly. The huge Mekani Director, Mezzat,   
stood in the front, but there was another standing   
behind it, in the shadows.   
  
"Who're you?" asked Sailor Moon.   
  
"Director of Operations, Mezzat," the Mekani   
introduced itself. "Welcome to the command ship."   
  
"Then it IS the right one!" Mars let slip.   
  
"Is it?" said the one behind Mezzat. "Sailor Mars,   
Sailor Mercury... I wish I could say it was a pleasure   
to see you again. And you...."   
  
Sypha Blade emerged from the darkness, her draconic   
eyes scrutinizing the young Sailor Moon. "You, little   
one... you've only signed your death wish. All you've   
done was fall into our grasp, as expected. The true   
command ship is the Basilisk."   
  
All three girls gasped, realizing they'd been   
trapped, when one of the monitors on the deck   
flickered to life. The image of Kanna Rajura   
appeared, holding up the sign of a 'V.'   
  
"Hello!" greeted the Crystal Spider. "I'm the one in   
charge of operations. Scylla and Charybdis were way   
too obvious, don't you think?"   
  
"You tricked us!" Mars hissed.   
  
"No one would ever think that the command ship would   
put itself to a lot of trouble," Kanna gloated. "I let   
you believe it was the Scylla, then I provided the   
Charybdis to psych you out. You do realize that the   
best way to hide something is in plain sight, right?   
Or, at least, make you pay attention to something other   
than that which you're supposed to be looking at."   
  
"And now," Mezzat declared, "since you were kind   
enough to enter the spider's web, you will be consumed   
by our power!"   
  
---   
  
Siege Zone, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Mousse walked past Cinder and Sailor Saturn,   
feeling somewhat frustrated that his soldiers were   
worthless to him. If there was anything constructive   
he could do, he could take out the queen while nobody   
else was looking.   
  
However, just a couple meters before reaching the   
front gate, another emerged from the nothingness. "I   
can't allow you to threaten the queen," she stated.   
  
The Master of Hidden Weapon's eyes widened, realizing   
he was going to get one of those fights he wanted   
anyway. He smirked. "Well, well, is it just me, or   
do the Sailor Senshi get new recruits all the time?"   
  
Sailor Pluto regarded her opponent with disdain.   
"Beware not to underestimate the Guardian of Time,   
Mousse!"   
  
"Oh, so you know my name!" Mousse said mockingly.   
"The more of you appear, the more I just have to kill!   
But even with such a fancy title, you can't compete   
with the Eyes!"   
  
He waved his arm, and the four flying units hiding   
behind his back spread out, forming a box around both   
combatants. In his outspread hand a wireframe spear   
appeared in his hand, then solidified, appearing just   
as sharp as the real thing. "Guardian of Time, meet   
the Master of Hidden Weapons!"   
  
---   
  
Reports were coming in from around the siege area   
that the Mishima robots and needle cannons were taking   
out the dysfunctional Mekani drones, but the rate   
could be faster, the commander noted.   
  
An explosion rocked the building, catching all the   
occupants by surprise. The commander was out of the   
chair due to the proximity of the blast.   
  
No way....   
  
"Commander!" shouted one of the officers. "The   
Mekani are on the move again!"   
  
"What?!"   
  
The commander heard a click from behind. "Sorry,   
Chika, but we can't let it go on like this."   
  
Chika, commander of the Peacekeepers called to   
Crystal Tokyo, slowly turned around and looked up the   
barrel of a pistol. "Shingo?!"   
  
"This is the absolute worst way to find out, huh?"   
he said, while his Section operatives moved to   
restrain the remaining PKs in the office. "I never   
knew you were a PK; and I was going to try and get you   
to join me."   
  
"I was going to do the same," Chika admitted. "So,   
you're working for my brother, huh?"   
  
"As a cell leader, yes; I take orders directly from   
him," Shingo replied quickly. "This is the cruelest   
irony, that pits the both of us on either side of the   
fence like this."   
  
"Your sister is the world monarch," the PK   
commander said. "Why?"   
  
"Why didn't you join your brother?" Shingo countered.   
"Neo Queen Serenity isn't my sister. My sister   
vanished along with the old world. That... thing, you   
work for, Neo Queen Serenity, is a reincarnated   
tyrant that eliminated my friends and brought untold   
misery to this world. She's like a big mother to the   
people of the world, true, but she's not letting them   
grow-up."   
  
"It's just as you say," Chika granted, "but your   
Section buddies are acting like spoiled children who   
don't get their way. That's why they support   
terrorists all around the world, and try to disrupt   
the peace and harmony Earth enjoys."   
  
"And that's where your PK illusion fails," Shingo   
pointed out, lowering his weapon and offering a hand.   
"We didn't create the conflicts; the conflicts were   
always there, and largely ignored by the world ruler.   
They're labeled 'terrorists' for being human. They're   
banished and exiled for being human. The world we're   
living in is running out of human beings as we know   
it."   
  
---   
  
Neo Queen Serenity watched as the energy shield   
surrounding the Crystal Palace erected itself quickly,   
crushing any Mekani soldiers that got too close. It   
was only a temporary solution, she knew, as the auto-   
defenses brought themselves online-- and the needle   
cannons piercing the thin Mekani armor. Only Cinder   
and Mousse remained within the palace walls, battling   
Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto in even combat.   
  
She watched as the energy field created by the Eyes   
created more artificial-- but still dangerous--   
weapons for Mousse to hurl at Pluto, and it was all she   
could do to defend against the never-ending attacks.   
Cinder's flaming sword tore at the sky, bringing the   
fury of Hell down against Saturn's Silence Glaive,   
neither able to score a good hit in yet.   
  
Turning back inside, she faced the communications   
mirror, where Ayame Mishima was waiting patiently.   
  
"Section operatives are countering us all over the   
world," Ayame reported. "It's only a matter of time   
before all the Mekani reorient themselves."   
  
"I see," the queen accepted. "Then it is all up to   
the others."   
  
"We're going to go to the back-up plan now," the   
Chief Executive informed her. "I really wish we didn't   
have to do this, but we'll just have to pick up the   
pieces later."   
  
"Do it."   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Basilisk   
  
Kanna watched in horror on the world-view map as   
each and every satellite in orbit-- including those   
not usurped by the Mekani-- self-destructed. Her well-   
crafted web and communications network was shattered in   
an instant, and along with it the ability to relay   
orders from the command ship.   
  
"Ayame, you just get better and better," the master   
tactician seethed, knowing that the Mekani would not   
just fall into disorder this time, but fail entirely.   
She looked over her shoulder to the Basilisk Enforcer.   
"Initiate back-up array. Use the warships as the   
communications nodes directly. Compensate as   
necessary."   
  
---   
  
Office of the CEO, Peacekeeper HQ   
  
The moment Kanna made her countermove Ayame was   
back on the line, bringing up communications with what   
PK stations that remained out of Section control, along   
with her current channel with Neo Queen Serenity. Both   
Kanna and Shion managed to move their pieces quickly   
across the board, and Ayame had to maintain the pace   
until one or both of them gave in.   
  
"Okay, guys," she said, "Kanna's trying to reallocate   
her resources by turning the warships into the comm   
nodes themselves. The moment she reestablishes the   
Mekani link I want all transmitters to transmit   
freely. During that time all communications will be   
cut-off-- even line transmissions-- and you will be on   
your own. Don't let Section compromise the remaining   
bases, and hold out for as long as possible."   
  
She waited as each of the remaining offices returned   
an affirmative to the orders, then terminating the   
link in turn, leaving only Neo Queen Serenity.   
  
"Your Highness," the Chief Executive said, "I'm going   
to join the rest of my men in defending the capitol. I   
hope to speak with you again when this is all over.   
Good luck, and heaven help us."   
  
"You did your best," the queen replied. "It is all   
up to the Sailor Senshi now."   
  
Ayame shook her head while reaching into a desk   
drawer. She produced her personal sidearm pistol, and   
removed the safety in full view of the world monarch.   
"Even if I stand alone, I will make a difference. God   
sent me."   
  
Terminating the link, Ayame stood up, and reached for   
her trench coat hanging on a nearby hanger. Tying the   
belt quickly, she placed her sidearm into her right   
pocket, and was about to leave when she thought better   
of it. Returning to her desk she entered several keys   
on the console, and one wall of her office slid away to   
reveal her personal arms collection.   
  
Coming from a family of arms dealers, Ayame Mishima   
would never believe such well-preparedness was   
overkill.   
  
"Now it's my turn," she said to herself.   
  
---   
  
Siege Zone, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Sailor Pluto thrust the end of her staff through one   
of the Eyes flying closest to her, and the weapons   
Mousse threw at her partially dematerialized. Although   
the weapons hit their mark Pluto was showing no signs   
of having suffered damage. With another wide swing she   
batted the other Eye away, sending it spiraling.   
  
The weapons in Mousse's hands remained in their   
wireframe mode, now that two of his precious Eyes were   
destroyed. "Dammit, dammit!"   
  
"Have any more gimmicks up your sleeve?" taunted   
Pluto. "Your attack was flawed; you lost long before   
you started."   
  
"No!" he hissed. "I won't be beaten again!"   
  
The beads around his neck glowed in reaction.   
  
"Now for the finish!" Pluto announced, bringing her   
staff around for another swing, this time aimed at   
Mousse.   
  
Upon impact with the Master of Hidden Weapon's body,   
however, the staff bounced off in recoil. For a brief   
instant Mousse felt his body harden, but the sensation   
was gone as quickly as it came.   
  
He held up the beads to his eyes. "They work...?"   
  
"Impossible," the soldier spat in disbelief,   
staggering a step back thanks to the force of the   
bounce. "It was just like hitting a boulder...."   
  
---   
  
Cinder spun the Young Phoenix with one hand in   
calculated, circular motions between each slash and   
parry in his deadly dance against Sailor Saturn.   
Although the retainer was trained in hand-to-hand   
combat back in service of his liege, Cinder saw it fit   
to work toward the mastery of the hypnotic Serpent   
Blade. Utilizing careful, deliberate swings, the   
wielder of such a series of sword techniques could   
place the opponent in a sort of hypnotic trance.   
  
Each swing of the blade had to match the opponent's   
physiological motor functions, and therefore a series   
of swings was only useful against an opponent belonging   
to a single race. The series was often long and   
strenuous to the wielder, which made the Serpent Blade   
a very uncommon technique even among the salamanders.   
During such an incantation, however, the wielder could   
weaken the opponent; the longer they watched the blade,   
the more fatigued they got, and it worked very well   
since any warrior worth their salt always eyed the   
weapon's movement.   
  
However, the more aggressive the opponent, the longer   
it took to complete the incantation. Sailor Saturn   
certainly was forcing the salamander to take his time.   
  
"What are you waiting for?" Saturn said, gritting her   
teeth. "You could've finished me a long time ago!"   
  
"How observant of you!" Cinder snarled, wheeling his   
sword arm for another flaming swing. "I toy with you,   
human!"   
  
"To what end?" she quizzed him. "To buy time? Or do   
you still not take me seriously?"   
  
"Show me the power of Death," he replied, betraying   
anticipation. "Show me that which annihilates worlds   
and dreams!"   
  
"Never!"   
  
"Then it will only become worse for you," the   
salamander warned. "It will only get worse!"   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Charybdis   
  
"...Oak Evolution!" Jupiter cried, sending showers of   
electrical energy from her hands raised in the air.   
  
Despite the fact that she and Venus were in close-   
quarters with the Mekani Enforcer, and were completely   
surrounded by metal, mechanical devises, it seemed the   
only logical option, given that the Enforcer did not   
seem to mind blowing holes on the command bridge's   
walls. Trails of electricity flew across all panels   
all around the two trapped Sailor Senshi, and Mekani   
drones sparked and exploded upon impact. The Enforcer,   
for its part, was flinching as it raised its foreclaws   
up to shield its huge red eye, but nothing could save   
it from attracting the lightning fury.   
  
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sailor Venus   
aimed her index finger at the Enforcer's eye, shouting,   
"Crescent Beam!"   
  
Sparks showered all around the two Senshi, blinding   
each of them to what was going on around them. Each of   
the two could smell smoke rising from some unknown   
source-- likely fried circuitry from all around the   
command center-- but they were also unable to see what   
was going on thanks to the sudden illumination of the   
room.   
  
"Fools," they heard Zedaji whisper, his voice having   
no discernable point of origin, "what do you hope to   
accomplish by destroying yourselves?"   
  
"Show yourself!" Jupiter shouted, over the noise of   
more short-circuits frying boards.   
  
"Put an end to this stupid war!" added Venus.   
  
"Stupid? Stupid!" mocked Zedaji, sounding amused.   
"No war is stupid; war is but one of a myriad of   
avenues by which sentient beings in the cosmos settle   
their differences!"   
  
"War breeds hatred," countered Venus. "And hate will   
only breed more war. Is that your intention?"   
  
"Tell me," the energy entity continued, "do you fear   
us?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Do you fear us?"   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Scylla   
  
"The Mekani's finest weapon!" Sypha declared, holding   
her Dragon Pearl in her left claw while throwing black   
bolts of lighting at the three Sailor Senshi with her   
right. "Fear and intimidation inspires order!"   
  
Sailor Mercury generated a force bubble before her,   
absorbing Sypha's lightning spell easily. "What kind   
of an order is that?"   
  
"The Mekani just uses it to scare people to give up,   
that's what!" Mars concluded, rising from her ducking   
position behind a console to lob a quick fireball.   
  
Behind Sypha, Director Mezzat remained quite calm   
and composed, having raised no weapon of its own to   
defend itself, as the black sorcerer was shielding   
herself-- and thus it-- with a magical barrier. Mars's   
fire blast washed over the spherical barrier, outlining   
it for a brief instant before flickering out.   
  
The young Sailor Moon stood out from behind Mercury's   
protection. "All we want is peace! Why don't you   
Mekani leave us alone?"   
  
"Useless," Mezzat said, ignoring the girl's words.   
"Finish them now."   
  
Sypha nodded quickly, and terminated her lightning   
spells. Closing her eyes, the sorcerer traced the air   
with her claw, muttering an incantation under her   
breath.   
  
"All together!" ordered Moon, and both Mars and   
Mercury nodded at once.   
  
Together, all three of them threw their powerful   
magical energies, pouring raw power against Sypha's   
energy shield. Within the sphere, both Mezzat and the   
kami sorcerer remained calm, yet the barrier was   
visibly weakening as it flickered rapidly.   
  
"It's working!" Moon cried, excited.   
  
At the same moment the barrier shattered into   
ethereal shards, Sypha finished preparing her spell,   
and she pointed her palm forth. Black magic spewed   
forth, meeting the combined energies of the three   
Senshi at once. For a brief moment the black energy   
seemed to overpower the girls, but it slowed to a   
crawl as the Sailor Senshi pushed themselves harder.   
  
"What is happening?" demanded Mezzat, trying its best   
not to sound shaken. "Attack harder!"   
  
"Shut up and help me!" Sypha screamed, beads of sweat   
rolling down her face quickly. "Stop being so useless   
to me!!"   
  
Mezzat's smaller eye spied the sorcerer carefully,   
but then it raised its claw and tail, and added its   
own fire to the struggle. Black and white flares of   
energy blinded all occupants of the command center as   
everything exploded into brilliance.   
  
---   
  
Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress   
  
A column of violent wind ripped through the street,   
sending stone and crystal flying as Ranma was forced   
through to the surface, with Ukyo not far behind. Both   
fighters crashed hard onto the street, several meters   
away from the hole they just created. Ziel Kagura,   
still calm in his composure, folded his fan back shut,   
satisfied at his own display.   
  
"Useless," he snorted. "You purebloods are so weak   
and helpless."   
  
Ukyo remained motionless, the wind knocked out of   
her, literally. However, to the Wind-User's surprise,   
Ranma was struggling to get back on his feet.   
  
"What's this?" Ziel said, taking a couple steps   
toward the martial artist. "You're still moving?"   
  
"Don't... underestimate... me," Ranma warned.   
  
"No shit," his opponent agreed, making two quick   
swipes with his folded fan. Two more wind blades shot   
through the air, and Ranma had to use more of his   
draining energy to escape their sting.   
  
Tumbling backward, Ranma managed to find his way back   
to his feet. Ziel sent a quick twister his direction,   
and this time he could not fully-escape the blast.   
Ranma felt the world spin rapidly, and the moment the   
mini-twister died his senses were disoriented again.   
  
I'm not going to lose, he vowed to himself. I didn't   
train all this time for nothing! Ziel has complete   
command of the wind around him... so how am I supposed   
to hit him?   
  
And yet....   
  
"Game over!" Ziel shouted, whipping open his fan wide   
and swinging it. A new tornado ripped to life, this   
one far more violent than the first, ripped toward   
Ranma.   
  
"One chance!" he knew, summoning the last of his   
strength. "It'll have to be enough!"   
  
To Ziel's surprise, Ranma threw himself into the   
tornado.   
  
Thanks to his own experiences working with the Hiryu   
Shoten Ha, Ranma knew exactly how to catapult himself   
out of a tornado column quickly, and fortunately,   
Ziel's attack operated similarly. Shooting out the top   
like a bullet, Ranma quickly reached the peak of his   
ascent, and started to dive back toward the ground.   
  
Gathering energies with the help of gravity, Ranma   
spiraled downward, orienting his fist first, aiming   
toward Ziel at the eye of the storm.   
  
---   
  
Siege Zone, Crystal Tokyo   
  
"No!" Neo Queen Serenity screamed, feeling the   
disturbance in the air.   
  
She tore herself away from the balcony, and willed   
her mirror to show her the Scylla. As her intuition   
told her, the great aerial beast was exploding near its   
supposed command bridge, and the ship was losing power   
fast, toward the polar ice caps below. Although the   
immediate damage would be minimal, if the Scylla would   
happen to melt the ice caps in its death throes, the   
world would undergo a global flood.   
  
Although she could not tell from her position, the   
queen knew, at least, her daughter was still alive...   
but the consequences of Scylla's death....   
  
The Earth and its peoples must not be destroyed.   
  
Before she decided on her course of action Neo Queen   
Serenity already had the Silver Crystal in hand,   
having removed it from its pedestal nearby. The world   
monarch turned and approached the balcony once more.   
  
The earth rumbled beneath her feet, and the queen   
knew another disaster was about to strike. It was as   
if the whole world had gone mad in a day as she cast a   
glance over the edge of the balcony, between the two   
pairs of combatants below. A large mechanical,   
reptilian head burst through the ground-- a snake-like   
creature of steel, with a heavy blade attached to its   
snout, and piercing red eyes that resembled Cinder's.   
  
As the snake head raised to Neo Queen Serenity's   
level, a hatch on top of the beast's head opened, and   
the pilot emerged.   
  
"Shizuka!"   
  
"Meka-Thanatos," Shizuka introduced, pulling herself   
out. "My precious friend controls this beast from the   
Kraken, and he follows my directions." She raised her   
spectral claw for the world monarch to see, and flexed   
it.   
  
"Deathclaw!" the queen shouted. "Leave her alone!"   
  
"Pop quiz," she posed. "You've got a giant, steel   
snake mock-up and an angry girl, and the world is   
falling apart. You might be able to save it, or   
yourself, but not both. What are you going to do?"   
  
Neo Queen Serenity knew the answer.   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Scylla   
  
Sailor Moon managed to bring herself to her feet, and   
did not hesitate to approach the wrecked Mezzat. The   
others remained knocked-out by the blast, but Moon   
wanted to know why... amidst the destruction of   
circuitry around her....   
  
Without considering herself, she stood on her knees   
before Mezzat, and started unscrewing its eye off, just   
as Mousse had done before. If he was any indication...   
there just might be someone inside.   
  
The moment she pulled the eye off smoke rushed out of   
the cockpit Moon suspected existed, and she waved it   
away with her hand. But what she saw inside surprised   
her.   
  
Unconscious, Sailor Neptune lay in the cockpit. She   
looked no worse for wear since the last time Moon saw   
her, save one-- two fleshy, tentacle-like appendages   
wrapped around her neck. Moon gently pulled Neptune's   
head aside, revealing the head-sized container behind   
her head. A conical-shaped being, with its huge eyes   
closed shut, rest within, bearing numerous tentacles   
along the bottom, with its two longest appendages   
wrapped around the girl.   
  
"What is going on?!"   
  
---   
  
Darkness   
  
"I see it, the light... and all shall share in its   
brilliance. I will make certain... darkness shall   
never fall... again."   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Stay tuned for the conclusion.   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
!-- End File -- 


	15. Endgame, part 3-- Judgement Day

Souls of Fire #15: Endgame, part 3--   
Judgement Day   
  
Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon   
  
Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to   
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to   
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective   
properties and characters.   
  
This file can be freely distributed so long as it   
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No   
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without   
permission from the author.   
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Command Center, Basilisk   
  
Kanna could not believe her eyes as a white bolt of   
energy lanced out from the Crystal Palace on the main   
monitor. She switched views, watching as it expanded   
outward, bathing the Griffin overhead with white   
energy. Soon more energy lanced out at the Mekani   
soldiers below.   
  
Then five larger energy bolts lanced outward from   
the Griffin, with one immediately colliding with the   
incoming Hydra. Explosions rocked the Griffin as the   
energies lanced onward, and Kanna knew it was the   
Silver Crystal.   
  
Yet, if one of the bolts hit the Hydra....   
  
"No way," was all the Crystal Spider could say   
before the white brilliance consumed the Basilisk. She   
never felt the destruction, nor would she ever know the   
destruction that would follow.   
  
---   
  
Siege Zone, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Blinking was all it took to miss the excitement.   
  
Neo Queen Serenity stood there, on the balcony,   
dumbfounded, with the Silver Crystal cupped in her   
raised hands. Only moments before Shizuka was lunging   
at her, with her spectral claw, ready to slash the   
queen's throat open, but now the priestess of Genbu   
stood on the rail, wide-eyed in disbelief, with her   
eyes passing from her chest back to the queen.   
  
Events seemed to slow to a crawl, but Neo Queen   
Serenity knew it was King Endymion's rose, thrown from   
within the chamber, that impaled Shizuka through the   
heart. Before she knew it the girl was spiraling   
backward and down the height of the tower.   
  
---   
  
Mousse watched as the priestess of Genbu plummeted   
to her death, and tried to find his voice, but another,   
more immediate danger cast its shadow. The moment he   
tore his eyes away he realized that Meka-Thanatos,   
sparking from being overloaded by Neo Queen Serenity's   
crystal, was falling.   
  
With Sailor Pluto nowhere to be seen, Mousse cursed   
his luck, and his life, never able to think who would   
avenge his own death.   
  
---   
  
The mechanical snake having fallen, and two trusted   
allies having been destroyed in less than thirty   
seconds, Cinder forgot about Sailor Saturn entirely.   
He turned his attention on the wrecked Meka-Thanatos,   
analyzing it quickly with his mechanical eye. He then   
peered at the high balcony above, where Neo Queen   
Serenity stood, her expression betraying shock--   
probably at the amount of damage being done only   
moments after she released her energies.   
  
Cinder turned back toward Sailor Saturn, and threw   
away the Young Phoenix, spreading his arms out in   
invitation.   
  
"Finish it," he instructed her. "I shall regain my   
honor in death by a superior opponent."   
  
Saturn nodded, holding her Silence Glaive steady.   
There was no further need for words, nor any need to   
argue further; she understood the Way of the Warrior   
well, as the Sailor Senshi, too, were retainers   
themselves... retainers of the superior enemy.   
  
He never felt the cold blade run through his armored   
chest, nor the splintering of obsidian scales. Cinder   
would never feel again, as he felt the circuit grafts   
within him lose power.   
  
It was all a glorious, monumental failure.   
  
---   
  
Ranma's fist, empowered by the energies gravity   
granted him, smashed through Ziel's defenses-- no, not   
defenses at all-- burying the Wind-User into the street   
with monumental force.   
  
Although he attacked with wind blades and spirals,   
Ziel himself was using his own spiral as a shield   
around him, which made it difficult to land a hit on   
him. However, since it was still a spiral, entering   
at the right point-- directly above-- offered a major   
hole: the eye of the storm.   
  
Glancing back, he noticed Ukyo come back to her   
senses. She kept her head low, cradling it in pain,   
as her body was not trained enough to match the strain   
Ranma put himself through. And, apparently, Ziel was   
similarly weak, as he made no movement at the bottom   
of the shallow crater.   
  
"You okay, Ucchan?" he asked.   
  
"Shit," she whistled, glancing over the rim, "what   
the hell did you do...?"   
  
"I guess I hit him pretty hard, huh?" Ranma said with   
a shrug. He turned away. "Now we've got to deal with   
Hokuto, right?"   
  
"Wait," Ukyo said. "We can't just leave him like   
this...."   
  
"Tell you what," the martial artist said. "You take   
care of him, and I'll deal with Hokuto. Besides, I   
want to show that punk Shion a thing or two."   
  
"You aren't going to beat him up, too, are you?" she   
asked, slightly concerned. "You're hurt, too."   
  
"I'll survive," Ranma insisted, forcing a smile.   
"I've faced things worse than that clown."   
  
---   
  
Both Shingo and Chika blinked their eyes back to a   
normal level, now that the brilliant flash emanating   
from the Crystal Palace had come and gone. Although   
it seemed to last forever, it in fact was only a   
second. The two agents stared out the window, toward   
the sky.   
  
Where the Griffin occupied the sky before was an   
empty, clear sky.   
  
"My god," Shingo gasped.   
  
"No kidding," agreed Chika. "What the hell was   
that?"   
  
---   
  
World Parliament, Geneva   
  
Ayame rubbed her eyes, unwilling to lower her pistol   
with the knowledge that the Mekani drones were likely   
still advancing, despite the flash attack.   
  
Her senses coming back to her, Ayame stared outward   
toward the incoming Mekani horde... and realized that   
the drones were no longer advancing. Squinting, her   
vision found traces of arcs of electricity dancing   
across each of them, indicating some kind of overload.   
  
A new weapon? she wondered.   
  
And yet, the area around her seemed to have lightened   
up a bit, and the sky revealed why: the Kraken was   
gone.   
  
"Is it over?" the Chief Executive asked herself.   
  
---   
  
Siege Zone, Crystal Tokyo   
  
All of it seemed so surreal.   
  
Neo Queen Serenity dropped to her knees, oblivious to   
her husband's constant calls of her name, oblivious to   
the fact that she saved a world from ecological   
disaster. She felt numb all over her body, unable to   
feel anything save for what lay inside, tormented by   
what she knew to be true: in order to save the Earth   
her friends... and daughter, paid with their lives.   
  
"No," she whispered, her voice shaking.   
  
The Silver Crystal delivered on all that it promised,   
and more, as it did indeed annihilate the invading   
Mekani warships. She recalled the voices urging her to   
use it, in order to spare the Earth from such a   
travesty that occurred today.   
  
The queen buried her head in her hands. "No...."   
  
Shizuka dared Neo Queen Serenity to save herself or   
the Earth-- she achieved both, at the cost of the   
girl's life. Not only her life, but the lives of all   
those who allied with the Mekani. Human or kami, they   
too had the right to live, and in an instant it was   
taken away by the Silver Crystal's light.   
  
"No!!"   
  
---   
  
Both Saturn and Pluto remained silent, watching as   
King Endymion gave up trying to break Neo Queen   
Serenity out of her moment of sorrow. The world king   
turned to face the last two Sailor Senshi of the nine   
planets, sadness in his eyes, unhindered by the mask   
he wore.   
  
"All our enemies have been beaten," King Endymion   
said, "but at a heavy cost."   
  
"I know," Pluto said, nodding slowly, keeping her   
voice even. "Such is the price of our actions."   
  
"Perhaps time...?"   
  
She shook her head. "There are laws that should not   
be broken for selfish ends."   
  
Saturn nodded in agreement. "We can't become the   
tyrants those people believed we were. To rule the   
laws of existence would place us beyond humanity and   
righteousness."   
  
Endymion wiped a tear from his eye, trying to remain   
bold despite the situation. "Then I believe it is time   
we resumed our duties. The Earth still needs us to   
look after it, and we must ascertain the extent of the   
damage. We may yet have enemies among us that we're   
unaware of. As of now, I'll act in my wife's place.   
I'm counting on you two."   
  
"Yes, Your Majesty," Pluto replied, with a bow,   
followed by Saturn.   
  
---   
  
General Hospital, Crystal Tokyo   
  
The Peacekeepers found Shion's body several hours   
later, having been crushed when the ceiling of the   
underground complex collapsed around him. It seemed   
that the energy wave the Silver Crystal emitted also   
reached the Section Director, and, thanks to his   
direct link to the system, it instantly killed him--   
long before the ceiling could.   
  
Ranma sat in one chair outside the room Ziel Kagura   
lay in, his head in his hands, leaning forward. The   
martial artist felt the aches he ignored during the   
battle acutely now, amplified by his failure to turn-up   
with Hokuto in the ruins of the Inner Circle fortress.   
The Peacekeepers themselves were not turning anything   
up, either.   
  
He sat up, and stared down the hall, as Ayame Mishima   
appeared, pushing her Vice Executive along in a wheel   
chair. Although Ukyo was supposed to remain lying in   
bed to recover, it seemed that her attitude and   
position somehow won her the ability to get out of her   
room-- if only for a little while.   
  
"How're you feelin'?" he asked.   
  
"Like a train hit me, what else?" Ukyo replied   
sarcastically. She cocked her head toward Ziel's   
door. "How is he, anyway?"   
  
"Still unconscious, I guess," Ranma answered,   
shrugging. "The doc said I really nailed him, and if   
he didn't come in any sooner he wouldn't have made it."   
  
"So Ziel is going to make it, huh?" Ayame said. "I   
guess the Second will have to do." She sighed. "He's   
probably the only other person beside Shion who knows   
where Hokuto is. Then again there's always Shingo and   
the other cell leaders... that is, if we can find the   
rest of them. Section vanished back into whatever hole   
they emerged from."   
  
"Ranchan," the Vice Executive said, "Ziel probably   
isn't going to come around anytime soon... why don't   
you go see Akane or something?"   
  
But Ranma shook his head. "I can't... not now, at   
least. Even if I didn't promise... Shizuka's dead, and   
so is Super-nerd. And maybe I did overdo it on this   
guy; I don't beat-up weaklings out of habit, you know."   
  
"Well, at least you could join us," she offered. "I   
mean, at our... well, wake. For old time's sake."   
  
"Too many of our friends are gone," Ayame agreed.   
"It's the least we can do."   
  
The martial artist shrugged, and folded his arms.   
"I'll think about it."   
  
"Other than that," the PK Executive said, "the world   
is pretty smashed-up. Lots and lots of drone corpses   
all over the siege areas, and it's taking a lot of time   
and resources to clean them up. We can't even find a   
trace of the warships... so either they've escaped or   
the queen was right." She shivered involuntarily. "I   
got a bad feeling about this."   
  
"What? The war's over."   
  
"That's not what my gut is saying," Ayame replied,   
her look becoming more serious. "I just feel like   
something big's going to happen, and we're not going to   
notice it until it's too late."   
  
"That's what we're supposed to look after," Ukyo   
said. "Now that the Sailor Senshi are gone, it's up to   
us PKs to deal with it." She shrugged. "It's probably   
Section, anyway; nothing we can't handle."   
  
Ranma leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. He   
couldn't imagine what Ayame or Ukyo were thinking....   
  
He forced his eyes open quickly, realizing that he   
was being watched, and not by either of the PKs. Out   
of the corner of his eye, in the hall away from the two   
girls, he caught sight of a shadow, but an instant   
later it was gone.   
  
"Did you see that?" he shouted, pointing his finger   
down the hall.   
  
"See what?" asked Ukyo, her attention grabbed.   
  
"There was someone there!" Ranma explained quickly.   
Instantly he was at his feet, and he pedaled himself   
down the hall.   
  
"Ranma!" his friend cried.   
  
His attention, however, was elsewhere. Ranma's heart   
raced, the exhilaration of the chase consuming him.   
  
Coming to the end of the hall at a T-intersection, he   
glanced in both directions, and saw the shadow   
duck into a room-- a closet, he guessed, the door left   
ajar slightly.   
  
He was at the janitor's closet in a flash, but,   
throwing open the door, Ranma could find no one   
inside. Inspecting the small room further, he could   
see no signs of escape, nor any avenue by which one   
could escape.   
  
"What the hell...?"   
  
Ranma heard the rushed clatter of footsteps, and he   
glanced out the door to see it was Ayame, a pistol   
raised upward in her right hand.   
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.   
  
"I thought I saw someone spying on us," he answered,   
starting to doubt himself. "Maybe I'm just seeing   
things...."   
  
---   
  
Prison Block, Crystal Palace   
  
Shingo remained silent as he sat up in bed, the only   
major piece of furniture in the palace jail. The   
crystal chamber, he recalled, was a place he shared   
with his friends back during the original revolt   
against Neo Queen Serenity, but this time, he was   
alone, save for his fiancé, the Peacekeeper agent   
Chika, who stood outside the bars.   
  
He remembered his previous jail time well; for no   
apparent reason Shingo was taken from the others for an   
audience with Neo Queen Serenity herself, as if he were   
the ring leader. However, it was nothing of the sort;   
he was being shown favoritism because the Queen of the   
World once masqueraded as his sister in the old world.   
  
He remembered the feelings clearly: betrayal, hate,   
distrust, and embitterment. Shingo had to be the   
selfless one by agreeing to return as a productive   
member of society-- if only for his parents' benefit.   
The queen likely knew he was lying, but somehow she   
could not find the heart to banish him along with the   
others, as he wanted.   
  
All the time growing-up Shingo never imagined that   
his klutzy older sister was Sailor Moon. He somewhat   
admired the heroine of the city, for destroying what   
monsters that threatened the populace. But... his own   
sister... how could she not be able to trust even him?   
That cat, Luna, even; she was probably sniping him   
behind his back. Who knew what secret life those two   
lived during the day?   
  
Usagi Tsukino was no simple reincarnation-- she was a   
creature that never existed; a figment created as a   
guise for Sailor Moon, who eventually became Neo Queen   
Serenity. Neo Queen Serenity... a ruler who would   
wish for a perfect utopian society at the expense of   
the qualities that made one human. A world frozen in   
crystal, as his old friend Kenji put it. Shingo   
wondered what happened to him after he was banished to   
Nemesis, which lead to if his descendants were killed   
during any of the Black Moon Wars.   
  
"Shingo," Chika said, breaking his train of thought,   
"you haven't said a word since they brought you here.   
Please, just for me... we need to put an end to   
Section's threat."   
  
"Section is the only hope we've got," Shingo replied   
coldly, unable to meet Chika's eyes. "The Master   
Director knew what he was doing."   
  
"Unfortunately, he's..." she choked on the word,   
"...gone. I... you... don't know how that feels, do   
you? With him Section will collapse, too."   
  
"I lost my sister; I thought she was my sister," he   
replied. "Trust me, I know."   
  
"The holdout is meaningless. The Mekani lost."   
  
"The other cells won't quit until they feel like   
they've lost," Shingo replied, knowing it as truth. "I   
only let you guys take me; my own cell's probably cut   
me loose already. I wouldn't know who took over, and   
so I'm out of the loop. I'm pretty useless to you."   
  
"You might still be able to help us," Chika insisted.   
"At least... us."   
  
"Perhaps," he granted, "but it's not going to happen   
overnight. The judges aren't going to be very lenient   
with me, you know. I don't expect any good treatment   
this time around, since all the other punishables are   
either dead or dying. I'm the next one on the ladder,   
I guess, unless Ziel recovers. The world, at least,   
needs a scapegoat for the loss of life... the Sailor   
Senshi, and the princess, too."   
  
"True," Chika said, nodding. "I guess there's some   
things in human nature no one can change."   
  
"It's a start," Shingo replied, sighing. "The Master   
Director wished it would go even further, one day."   
  
"Shion," the PK operative said, closing her eyes.   
Remembering his face, Chika could almost feel her step-   
brother watching her even now.   
  
---   
  
Ballroom, Crystal Palace   
  
The expansive ballroom was used for special   
occasions-- usually parties thrown by the royal court   
in celebration of certain events. Those of high   
station, in their elegant dress, would frequent these   
halls, to mingle with the rest of the high society.   
  
Today, however, dusty trenchcoats and grungy clothes   
were the order of the day, as none of the party-goers--   
made up primarily of PKs that came directly from the   
field-- had enough care to present themselves after the   
disasters they've witnessed. Ayame wheeled Ukyo into   
the chamber, pausing for moments at a time to nod and   
shake the hands of her operatives. Her eyes scanned   
the room, noting that Chika was nowhere to be seen.   
  
She came to a stop, however, when King Endymion, in   
his usual resplendence, appeared, grabbing Ayame by the   
arm.   
  
"Your Majesty!" Ayame said, surprised.   
  
"Good to see you, Chief Executive," Endymion   
greeted. "I was meaning to see you earlier, but now   
isn't the time or place. I'll be seeing you after the   
party, yes?"   
  
"Yes, sir!" she replied, and Endymion released his   
hold.   
  
She spotted Hotaru and Setsuna easily, as both stood   
near the curtained stage area at the end of the room.   
Both Sailor Senshi reverted to their civilian guises   
so as to not attract as much attention, although most   
of the PK operatives were aware of their identities.   
It pleased Ayame that the two remaining soldiers   
decided to fit-in with the rest of the crowd.   
  
"Hey," greeted Ayame, raising one hand from the chair   
to wave.   
  
"Glad to see you could make it, Ms. Mishima," Hotaru   
said, bowing respectfully.   
  
"Ayame will do," the Chief Executive replied, giving   
a quick nod toward Setsuna. "How's Her Highness?"   
  
"Broken," answered Setsuna. "We were fortunate to   
escape this conflict with our lives... however, it will   
not spell the end of the conflict."   
  
Ukyo nodded in agreement. "The Mekani probably won't   
stop. Maybe it won't take them forty years to assemble   
another strike force."   
  
"All the more reason why we need the queen's backing   
on the new projects," Ayame said, scratching her chin.   
"We barely competed with the horde this time; the next   
time we won't be so lucky. We need weapons."   
  
"You may just get it," Hotaru replied. "Without the   
other Sailor Senshi...."   
  
"But enough of that serious talk," Ukyo interrupted.   
"This is a party, right? Right now we should be   
thankful we got away with our lives, and...." She   
scoffed over the absurdity of her own words. "Damn   
it, it doesn't feel right, though."   
  
Ahead of them, the curtains to the stage jerked open   
violently, and all lights in the ballroom dimmed. Only   
two spotlights remained on, focusing on the whole area   
viewable of the stage. PK operatives all over the room   
murmured concern, and Ayame's ears detected some of   
them were reaching for their sidearms.   
  
The shadow of a head popped out against the light,   
emerging from the left curtain. "Wow!" she said, her   
voice amplified by the speaker system. "There's a lot   
of people here!"   
  
A second shadow head appeared-- another girl. "Oh,   
isn't that marvelous! It's a wake for the dead!"   
  
The first emerged from the curtains, an outline of a   
shadow. Ayame roughly-guessed at the outline, deciding   
that it was a summer-dress school uniform. She tore   
her eyes from the stage, and glanced back to the spot   
lights, but there was no one standing there. By the   
time she turned around again the second girl emerged,   
having a roughly-similar outline, but slightly-taller.   
  
The first shadow, A-ko, produced a skeleton dummy,   
and held it out for the audience to see. She waved it   
at the second shadow, B-ko, playfully. "See! The dead   
do walk today!"   
  
"Hey!" protested B-ko, shrinking away from the   
skeleton shadow. "Put that away!"   
  
"What is this?" wondered Ukyo. "Some kind of sick   
joke?"   
  
Tossing the skeleton aside, A-ko instead produced a   
spherical object, holding it out with one hand. "They   
say that the Earth exists in peace and harmony!"   
  
"No, really?" B-ko said, with mock surprise.   
  
A-ko produced a second object, dangling from a   
string. She dangled the wedge-shaped object over the   
sphere, bouncing it around up and down like a useless   
yo-yo. "But then, someone else enters the playground,   
and says the party's over!"   
  
"Oh no!" B-ko cried, her hands to her face. "What   
ever shall we do?"   
  
A-ko bounced the sphere-- and it was apparent that   
the object was a rubber ball. "They say we can put all   
our hope together, and drive them off!"   
  
"With this!" B-ko finished, holding out another,   
smaller sphere. She tossed it at A-ko's dangled wedge,   
and the wedge flew backward, then swung back, like a   
pendulum. A-ko simply tossed the string over her   
shoulder.   
  
Both shadows faced toward the audience, holding out   
'V' signs with their free hands. "And that," they said   
in unison, "is how you save the world!" Tossing the   
ball upward, both shadows pirouetted back to the   
corners whence they came.   
  
"Hold it!" Ayame cried, finding her own sidearm in   
hand. She pushed herself past Hotaru and Setsuna, and   
vaulted on-stage. Glancing toward the left, where A-ko   
disappeared, the Chief Executive was pegged on the head   
by the rubber ball.   
  
Moments later the spotlights vanished, and the   
ballroom returned to its original luminescence.   
  
Shaking her head, Ayame gathered herself and entered   
the backstage area, the barrel of her pistol doing the   
searching. She lowered her weapon, realizing that the   
two vandals were probably long gone by now.   
  
"Who the hell were those people?" she wondered.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
No one was allowed entrance to the royal quarters,   
not while Neo Queen Serenity wished to be alone. Even   
her husband, the king, was ejected from the area.   
  
Her head was buried in her arms, lying at the end of   
her colossal bed. Over and over again, she flushed   
tears over the consequential deaths of her closest   
friends-- and her only daughter.   
  
"Why?" she repeated to herself again. "Why, why   
why...?"   
  
"My goodness," someone said, "you certainly ask a   
lot, from one question!"   
  
The queen raised her eyes above her arms, suddenly   
alert. "Who's there?"   
  
A shadow emerged, cast against the far wall opposite   
Neo Queen Serenity. The world monarch could not make   
out any outstanding features, but knew instinctively   
it was a woman.   
  
The shadow, C-ko, continued, "Could it be possible   
that you've never suffered such a permanent loss? Can   
it be, that there be a warm heart in this crystal   
prison?"   
  
"Who are you?"   
  
C-ko held out her arms, and made a bunny with the   
shadow play. "The poor rabbit, alone! No one to turn   
to, nor anyone to share your thoughts with! All those   
friends, a thought long gone."   
  
"Show yourself...."   
  
"And maybe," the shadow said, ignoring the queen's   
words, "just maybe, the rabbit can learn."   
  
In the blink of an eye, the shadow disappeared,   
melting in with the rest of the shadows cast.   
  
"Wait!" she cried, sitting up. "Come back!"   
  
And then she knew it was pointless, for the intruder   
had vanished.   
  
---   
  
General Hospital, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Ranma was instantly brought out of his reverie when   
he heard screaming from within Ziel's room. Standing   
up quickly, he glanced down the hall, noting that the   
doctors had been alerted to something, and they were   
in a rush.   
  
Quickly, the martial artist slipped inside ahead of   
them, and the instruments monitoring Ziel were beeping   
like mad. The Wind-User himself was shaking violently,   
and, worst of all, screaming his head off.   
  
"What the hell?!"   
  
"Stand aside!" the doctors cried, pushing themselves   
past Ranma. "He's having some kind of an arrest!"   
  
Ranma stepped out of the way, allowing the doctors   
to get to work at the machines. One of them tapped a   
monitor, and announced, "I don't understand! It's not   
natural!"   
  
"RAAANMAAA!!" Ziel shouted, his wild eyes piercing   
past the doctors, and toward the martial artist.   
  
Before he knew it Ziel was bursting off the bed,   
slamming the doctors between him and Ranma with   
unnatural strength. Leaping out, he grabbed Ranma by   
the scruff of his shirt, and threatened to drag the   
martial artist down with him to the floor.   
  
Holding the arm tightly to maintain his stand, Ranma   
screamed, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"   
  
Ziel, for his part, was struggling for breath, but   
one look into his eyes and Ranma knew that the Wind-   
User was being tortured from within. "It's... it's...   
unreal...."   
  
"Yeah, I know that!"   
  
Spastically, he shook his head. "No! All of it!"   
He struggled to find his voice, and Ranma knew that   
Ziel wasn't going to last much longer. "This place...   
all of it... none of it's real!!"   
  
A heartbeat later, it was over, and Ranma found   
himself holding Ziel's arm up by himself, now that the   
Wind-User's grip loosened. He stood staring down at   
Ziel, holding his arm in shock, as the doctors tried to   
examine the patient... but somehow, Ranma knew it was   
all useless. It was too surreal.   
  
Standing over the dead body, Ziel's words tumbled   
in Ranma's thoughts over and over, and suddenly, he   
saw the truth.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Ranma ran through the halls of the palace at a brisk   
walk, the knowledge gained pushing him onward. Where   
there were guards stationed he plunged through without   
waiting for them to allow him passage. Although he   
could feel them at his feet, Ranma simply did not care   
about such trivial problems.   
  
As he rounded the corner Ranma almost ran into the   
king of the world himself.   
  
"Hey, King Endymion," he said. "I'm looking for the   
queen."   
  
"Greetings... Ranma Saotome," King Endymion returned.   
"I'm afraid she doesn't wish to see anybody at the   
moment... perhaps you can come back later?"   
  
At that moment the guards pursuing Ranma arrived.   
"Your Majesty!"   
  
The king waved them off. "Guards, leave us. Ranma   
here is my guest."   
  
"If you say so, sir," the lead guard replied,   
saluting before departing.   
  
When the guards vanished, Ranma wiped his forehead.   
"Thanks."   
  
"Repay me some other time," Endymion replied.   
"Perhaps you can tell me what's so important."   
  
Ranma eyed the monarch curiously. "Umm... Your   
Highness... aren't you too good for that 'common   
speak' of yours?"   
  
"Why, whatever do you mean?" he asked.   
  
"Well, you know... I thought you royalty-types   
always talked like 'high-and-mighty' stuff."   
  
The king shrugged.   
  
"Anyway, I've got to tell the queen something," he   
insisted. "It's too important."   
  
"Well, my friend, if you insist, I cannot stop you,"   
Endymion said, stepping aside. "The royal chambers   
are right down that hall."   
  
Nodding, Ranma picked up his pace, but the king   
called, "Oh, Ranma? One more thing."   
  
"What's that?"   
  
"Next time you come... can you dress a bit less-   
ragged? It makes you look bad."   
  
Turning away from the king, Ranma muttered under his   
breath, "Yeah, right, bozo."   
  
---   
  
After leaving the presence of Ranma King Endymion   
continued down the hall, stopping at the entrance to   
the meeting hall. Opening the door, he found Ayame   
Mishima already inside, her back toward the door,   
apparently reading a report handed to her sometime   
between the wake and the meeting.   
  
"I see you're early," Endymion said.   
  
Ayame continued shuffling through papers, then   
closed the file folder shut and threw it on the   
table. "You know, Your Highness, the more we move on   
the worse things get. It wasn't just those two   
doppelgangers we saw; my agents have been filing   
reports that they feel like they're being watched all   
the time."   
  
"I see."   
  
"And, thing is, I believe them," the PK Chief said,   
turning around to face the husband of the world   
monarch. "Ever since the Mekani were destroyed we've   
had one weird thing happen after another. All the   
Section top executives are dead or captive. All the   
Mekani generals are dead. What the hell is going on?"   
  
---   
  
Neo Queen Serenity sat up from her lying position in   
bed, as Ranma kicked the heavy double-doors to the bed   
chamber open easily.   
  
"Ranma Saotome?" she gasped with surprise.   
  
"Hey Queenie," he called rudely, making fast steps to   
the edge of the bed, "we need to talk."   
  
"Why have you come?" Serenity asked. "I wished to be   
alone."   
  
"Well, ya gotta mourn later, because we've got   
bigger problems," Ranma continued. "Ziel just died."   
  
The queen's eyes lowered sadly. "When will it end?"   
  
"That's not the thing, though," the martial artist   
continued. "It's HOW he died. Look at me!"   
  
Despite the order coming from one of her subjects,   
Neo Queen Serenity instantly snapped awake, and saw   
Ranma for the first time. His clothes were torn in   
places, as if he were slashed many times, and his face   
dirtied with blackened spots. Yet despite the scruffy   
look, she could see the seriousness in his eyes.   
  
"I've seen the way he's died before," Ranma added.   
"His mind was being flayed on the inside, something an   
esper knows how to do. Not only that, but after he   
died... I noticed that Ziel didn't cast a shadow."   
  
"No shadow?"   
  
"And he warned me... that nothing was real. Or some-   
such weird thing like that, but the thing is, he's got   
to be right. Hokuto woke-up."   
  
Neo Queen Serenity stared at the martial artist,   
blinking. "I... I do not understand...."   
  
"After the last war Section somehow found Hokuto, and   
she was still alive," Ranma explained quickly. "They   
intended her to wake-up... to use as a weapon against   
whoever won this war. I mean, heck, everyone thought   
she was going to wake-up, but nothing happened. The   
thing is, she's already awake, and what we're living   
through right now IS her weapon."   
  
"If what you say is true," the queen said, somewhat   
skeptical, "then why has she not shown herself?"   
  
---   
  
Ballroom, Crystal Palace   
  
"Did you hear what happened?" A-ko asked her partner,   
appearing in the now-empty ballroom, on-stage once   
again.   
  
"Yes!" B-ko said, nodding enthusiastically. "They   
say that someone just died!"   
  
"Right! And not just anybody, either!"   
  
"Oh! Who could be next?"   
  
---   
  
Meeting Hall, Crystal Palace   
  
Hotaru pushed Ukyo's wheelchair inside the meeting   
room, with Setsuna trailing behind her. The well-   
furnished room was thrown into chaos, as PK operatives   
surrounded the area where Ayame had fallen only a few   
minutes before. Ukyo glanced toward the side, where   
King Endymion cradled a wound on his shoulder, and was   
bleeding profusely. Another PK agent was tending to   
the king, and thus the Vice Executive PK paid him no   
mind.   
  
Ordering her men to move aside, Ukyo saw the body of   
Ayame. Her boss lay sprawled on the ground, face-down   
in a pool of her own blood. The former chef shirked   
back when she noticed the clean hole that drilled   
through the back of Ayame's skull, and leaked blood   
and brain matter.   
  
"Ugh," she coughed, feeling like retching. "What   
the hell...?"   
  
"It was a clean shot, ma'am," one of the operatives   
reported. "Even if we got here sooner it would be too   
late. The boss died instantly... but from what, we   
don't know."   
  
"What about the king?"   
  
"He's our only witness," the operative replied. "He   
said something came out of the shadows, and attacked   
them. Ayame protected him."   
  
"The shadows?" Hotaru echoed.   
  
"Then why not kill the king, too?" asked Setsuna,   
her eyes cast at Endymion.   
  
"It's likely Ayame found out something our shadowy   
friends didn't want to leak out," Ukyo concluded,   
rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Whoever they are, they   
know their stuff." Turning back to the head operative,   
she ordered, "Clean this mess up. I want to know who   
did this, and when we do, I want to flog them,   
personally."   
  
---   
  
Extra Hall, Crystal Palace   
  
It seemed that in every building there was one room   
which the owner had no idea what to do with, and it was   
relegated to storage. In a lonely hall between the   
ground level and the prison level, devoid of regular   
use, coffins were set up, housing the bodies of those   
who died in the last battle. Three such wooden coffins   
were erected on pedestals, one for each of the former   
Fenril Knights that died attacking the palace, placed   
away from the eyes of people.   
  
Only Neo Queen Serenity and her trusted aides had   
access to this mysterious hall, as she wished to avoid   
tempting others to defile the bodies. The preservation   
magicks held over the bodies were very lasting, and it   
would be difficult to remove any defacement.   
  
Ranma trailed behind the world monarch, a chill   
running up his spine at the thought of seeing dead   
friends... ones he wished would still be alive now,   
despite their annoyance. No one deserved to die the   
ways they did.   
  
Yet, paying respects to the deceased was the last   
thought on either of their minds.   
  
The coffin to the left served as the resting place   
for Shizuka Minazuki. Although she appeared fine now   
Ranma tried his best to block-out the details of her   
tragic demise, but he couldn't help but note that her   
neck was adjusted back to a natural place. Unlike the   
other two he had seen her alive only a day before. He   
wondered if she found the destiny she was looking for.   
  
He peered over to her right arm, noting that the   
spectral claw was missing, leaving a stump.   
  
Mousse's body was reconstructed to the best of the   
mortuary's ability, and Ranma winced at the thought of   
getting crushed to death. His glasses were shattered,   
and thus discarded.   
  
Cinder remained in the third coffin, and, despite the   
magicks at work, it looked like it was a struggle to   
keep the kami's body together. Almost immediately   
after dying the salamander's scales began to   
disintegrate, so there were many patches showing   
through to the metal wiring within. Ranma wondered if   
Cinder really had any bones in that body.   
  
Yet, thanks to the inspection, both he and Neo Queen   
Serenity safely came to the same conclusion.   
  
"It is as you said," she said, "they are missing   
their shadows. It is a detail easy to miss, given   
other sources to cast their own shadows."   
  
"Thing is, what does it mean?" wondered Ranma.   
  
Ranma tensed up, his intuition telling him that there   
was something moving in the shadows, out of the corner   
of his eye. Before Queen Serenity could ask what was   
wrong, Ranma was already tackling her, barely in time   
to avoid the shadow lance flying out from one of the   
walls.   
  
With Neo Queen Serenity down on the ground Ranma   
jumped back to his feet, and he caught sight of the   
shadow form from which the spear originated. "Dammit,"   
he cursed, "she's quick!"   
  
The shadow said nothing, and three more lances flew   
out of its two-dimensional form, taking on a third   
dimension. Ranma weaved his way around the attacks,   
dodging each spear easily.   
  
And then he noticed that the shadow creature's head   
was bobbing up and down, as if laughing. Scanning the   
area, the martial artist noted that shadow spears were   
jutting out of every available shadow in the room at   
the four walls.   
  
"What is going on?" Neo Queen Serenity cried. She   
gasped, catching sight of the danger Ranma saw.   
  
"Damn, Hokuto," Ranma muttered, "stick it all in a   
pin cushion...."   
  
Shadow spears rained on the two from all directions.   
Ranma's eyes could not track all the attacks at once,   
and instantly he knew that he and the queen were as   
good as dead. He raised his arms instinctively.   
  
Several heartbeats later, Ranma opened his eyes, and   
lowered his arms. Replacing the spears was a white,   
misty haze, and the deadly shadow weapons were nowhere   
to be seen. He glanced down at Neo Queen Serenity,   
who appeared shaken, but unhurt.   
  
"What the...?"   
  
"Shadow is only as strong as the light around it,"   
a voice said.   
  
"Who are you?" asked the queen, bringing herself back   
to her feet. "You saved us."   
  
"This parody of existence," continued the rescuer,   
"is but a shadow of reality."   
  
Both Ranma and Neo Queen Serenity stared upward,   
their eyes feasting on a bright wisp floating overhead.   
As the voice continued, the wisp resonated in an equal   
pattern in response.   
  
"What the heck are you?" asked Ranma.   
  
"Zedaji, of the Mystral Whole," the energy wisp   
introduced himself. "I was placed commander of the   
Charybdis by the Mekani Alliance, and it is my duty to   
represent my people in the best manner possible."   
  
"Mekani Alliance?" echoed the queen. "Then... there   
are more than just the Mekani...?"   
  
"We have a common enemy," Zedaji continued. "The   
threat we found in the Silver Crystal was nothing   
compared to this Shadow Weaver. This entity's power   
dwarves your crystal a thousandfold."   
  
"You mean Hokuto, right?" Ranma wanted to know. "We   
know she's the one doing this."   
  
"Where is she?" demanded Neo Queen Serenity. "What   
is going on?"   
  
"The entity you refer to as Hokuto exists here,"   
answered the Mystral. "Here, in this Shadow Reality,   
you are imprisoned, along with the remaining key   
players in this power struggle. All of your world and   
the sphere around it are being consumed in time. The   
Hokuto entity will stop at nothing to destroy those   
players that dare to shatter this reality."   
  
"She's killing people who know the truth?" wondered   
Ranma. "That doesn't sound like her at all."   
  
"I fear," Zedaji added, "now that the messenger is   
gone, I am the only remaining link. The shadows cannot   
touch my form easily."   
  
"None of this is affecting you, then," Neo Queen   
Serenity said, sorting out the Mystral's words herself.   
"Then, the shadows...."   
  
"Watch them carefully," advised Zedaji. "I must move   
to protect other interests at stake. In the meantime,   
you need to be careful if you wish to escape this   
parody world."   
  
Along with the warning, Zedaji vanished, passing   
through the ceiling as if were never there.   
  
Neo Queen Serenity and Ranma passed puzzled glances   
to each other.   
  
"Watch the shadows?" paraphrased the martial artist.   
  
"Have you seen them?" asked the queen. "Before you   
came, one of them spoke to me. Perhaps that is what   
Zedaji refers to."   
  
"So you think he means they're not all on Hokuto's   
side?" guessed Ranma. "That still doesn't explain   
where Hokuto is, or why she's doing this... whatever it   
is."   
  
"The only way to ensure our protection from the   
shadow weapons is a light of our own," the queen   
realized. "However, we need a degree of darkness in   
order to see, so the best option would be to weaken the   
shadow whenever we possibly can. Higher lighting or   
very little lighting will serve equal ends in that   
respect."   
  
---   
  
"People are getting killed left and right," Ukyo   
complained, waving her arms, then slamming the arms of   
her wheelchair. "It's getting intolerable."   
  
Ukyo, Hotaru, and Setsuna joined Ranma and Neo Queen   
Serenity in the Extra Hall, following a summons and the   
installation of extra lighting sources to dim the   
shadows. The coffin lids were closed shut out of   
Ranma's preference to get rid of the distraction.   
  
"King Endymion is resting now," Setsuna added. "He   
was bleeding bad, even from that one hit."   
  
"Good thing he didn't know what Ayame did, then,"   
Ranma said. "Then again, that guy gives me the   
creeps...."   
  
"I don't think that matters much, since we're   
probably all going to die anyway," Ukyo said with a   
shrug.   
  
"If that energy entity you spoke of," Hotaru began,   
"is telling the truth, then we need to escape Hokuto's   
little trap."   
  
"Zedaji implied we had to find Hokuto before that   
can happen," Neo Queen Serenity replied. "She is   
definitely on to us, and she will try to eliminate us   
the first moment possible. For what reason, however,   
we do not know."   
  
"Fine mess Shion got us into," Ranma scoffed. "I   
mean, how the hell are we supposed to figure this one   
out, if even the Mekani don't know?"   
  
"Well, think," Hotaru suggested. "Ever since   
everyone else died a lot of strange things have gone   
on. All the Mekani except for Zedaji are dead. Ayame   
got shot through the head. Ziel was mentally crushed.   
Shadow people started appearing all over the place,   
and people are being watched."   
  
"And Endy's thinks I'm looking bad," Ranma added.   
  
"So what?" Ukyo said, giving her friend a look.   
  
"King Endymion may be suspect, actually," Setsuna   
said, drawing stares.   
  
"How can my husband be involved?" asked the queen   
evenly.   
  
"First of all," Setsuna began, facing the monarch,   
"King Endymion's speech pattern has changed since the   
battle. Secondly, he was alone in the meeting hall   
with Ayame, when she was killed. Yet, why is King   
Endymion hurt?"   
  
"Perhaps Hokuto tricked her into jumping in the way,"   
offered Ukyo.   
  
"But that's inconsistent with the evidence," the   
disguised Sailor Pluto pointed out. "King Endymion   
was standing closest to the exit during the attack.   
The attack originated from the opposite end of the   
room, where Ayame was... so he says. If she got in the   
way, there would be plenty of space between her and the   
king. Also note that, if Ayame saw the origin of the   
attack, her body would be lying on her back, not on   
her face."   
  
"Then what are you saying?" asked Neo Queen Serenity,   
although it was more of a formality than an actual   
question.   
  
"King Endymion attacked Ayame while her back was   
turned with a shadow weapon," Setsuna formulated,   
folding her arms. "That is the only way she could have   
fallen face-first like that, and leave no evidence of a   
weapon. It's also not improbable, judging from where   
the king could stand, that he could do it."   
  
"And he could wound himself," added Hotaru, "just to   
make appearances, and shift any suspicion off him?"   
  
"Sounds like a good conspiracy theory," Ukyo granted.   
"But it's still a bit far-fetched to me."   
  
"With both the queen and the princess out of the way,   
the rulership would shift to King Endymion," Setsuna   
pointed out. "If he's the one behind this, it's the   
only logical answer."   
  
"But why?" asked the queen. "Why would he do such   
things?"   
  
"Well, look at that!" a voice yelled. "Someone   
needs another piece of the puzzle!"   
  
Toward one of the side walls, a weak shadow emerged,   
in the outline Neo Queen Serenity saw before.   
  
"What is King Endymion?" asked C-ko. "What is he...   
but a parody in a parody world?"   
  
"Who're you?!" demanded Ukyo.   
  
"Reality is decided in the mind," continued the   
shadow woman. "The truth that is an illusion is no   
truth at all."   
  
Just as quickly as it appeared, the shadow C-ko   
vanished.   
  
"This," Ranma said, shaking his head, "has got to   
stop. It's getting way too weird...."   
  
---   
  
Ballroom, Crystal Palace   
  
"Did you hear?" B-ko asked A-ko. "They're asking for   
the king's head!"   
  
"No way!" A-ko denied, pirouetting across the stage.   
"Who would've thought?"   
  
"They say he's not the real king!"   
  
"What's real, for real?"   
  
"Isn't that a corundum?" both said at once, before   
pirouetting off-stage again.   
  
---   
  
Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace   
  
Kicking the doors of the bed chamber wide-open for   
the second time that day, Ranma was unprepared for what   
greeted him, Ukyo, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor Pluto.   
Tentacles as black as night rushed out to greet them,   
entwining them quickly.   
  
Neo Queen Serenity, standing behind the four, was   
left unmolested by the attack. She entered on her own   
resolve, the shadow tentacles not daring to travel any   
closer to her.   
  
The shadow tentacles emerged from a single point   
behind where King Endymion was standing, with half his   
face concealed by shadow thanks to the lighting.   
  
"You are not my husband," she accused. "Reveal   
yourself, Hokuto Takemasa!"   
  
"Is it really not I, King Endymion, Usako?" he asked,   
a malicious smile forming on his face. "Or is it that   
you aren't who you think you are? Which is it?"   
  
"I do not know what you speak of!"   
  
"Come now," the false Endymion said, "tell me you've   
figured everything out now. Without you I'll be free   
to usher a new age of peace and harmony. A true Age of   
Light-- something which you failed to create, by   
refusing to obliterate the darkness."   
  
"What...?"   
  
The shadow tentacles flooded over Endymion's form,   
blackening him with dark ooze. The form weakened a   
moment, then transformed and congealed. The shadow   
substance parted, completing Hokuto's transformation   
back to her true form.   
  
"Gray, shadow, neutrality," she scoffed. "Such   
things don't exist. It's all Darkness and Light, Black   
and White. The universe is a continual struggle   
between the two, not of those in-between. Vizier   
showed me such. I will forge this new era, and you, my   
dear queen, are going to witness it. You will watch   
as I transform Earth into a true Bastion of Light!"   
  
"That is not possible!" the queen cried. "Light   
cannot exist without the Darkness!"   
  
"Is that what you foolishly believe?!" Hokuto cried   
angrily. "All of you humans... you pathetic creatures   
will experience the Light. All of you shall be reborn   
into the model subjects in my glorious empire!"   
  
Hokuto's shadow extended outward quickly, touching   
Neo Queen Serenity's own. Shadow-substance hands   
emerged, grasping at her skirts and legs. The queen   
screamed in shock, as she felt herself sink into her   
own shadow.   
  
The Shadow Weaver cursed suddenly, and Serenity felt   
another presence enter. White wisps illuminated the   
shadowed chamber, and she knew Zedaji returned.   
  
"You damn Mystral!" she cried. "Your meddling comes   
to an end!"   
  
Neo Queen Serenity felt the Mystral's energies tug   
at her, trying to pull her from the shadow, but the   
shadow hands proved much stronger. Struggling, she   
tried to resist as best as she could, but the shadow   
easily over came her... and dragged Zedaji along with   
her.   
  
---   
  
"Where are we?"   
  
"This is the shadow. It is the border between the   
two realities."   
  
"Realities?"   
  
"If Hokuto has her way, she will reincarnate you   
back into her fantasy world, to be her puppets for all   
time. That is her true intention; Hokuto wishes to   
rule in her own mind."   
  
"She believes that all there is to existence is the   
Light, because of the last battle."   
  
"What happened?"   
  
"When Vizier was trapped in the barrel of the cannon   
with Hokuto, naturally, he jumped bodies, and took   
Hokuto for his own, then escaped. However, Hokuto was   
stronger than Vizier at the time... and they fought for   
an eternity in the plane of her mind. In effect, she   
lost her mind in a sea of Darkness, and struggled to   
find the Light again. She is no longer the Hokuto we   
know, but a faint echo of what used to be."   
  
"In other words, truly insane."   
  
"Who are you people?"   
  
"Faces you know, and have yet to meet. We exist   
here, in this Shadow Reality, as True Reality has not   
passed for a nano-second. Life, as you creatures would   
describe it, is flashing before your eyes."   
  
"Then the Scylla has not fallen yet?"   
  
"No. In fact, Shizuka is still about to kill you,   
and you have not yet activated the Silver Crystal. It   
looks kind of funny to see that."   
  
"We would have liked to have Ziel communicate all   
this to you, but Hokuto got him first. We tapped into   
his dream mind, and she knew it would ruin everything."   
  
"But the Mekani... I met Zedaji. I do not   
understand...."   
  
"I suppose the best place to start is at the   
beginning."   
  
"The web... the one the Mekani spread from their   
home galaxy... we are merely the edge of the web. The   
mechanized army is moving outward in expansion, in   
order to follow their primary directive-- to survive."   
  
"In fact it was in this other galaxy, one adjacent to   
our own, that the Mekani Hive was birthed, but their   
origins are far more recent than their creator's story.   
I speak of another race-- the one that fathered the   
Mekani-- they are the M'tora. Levitating, conical-   
shaped creatures with huge eyes and ten tentacles, two   
of which are longer than the others, with a sharp beak   
in their midst-- often contributing to the image that   
they resemble squids... somewhat. Their size is as   
large as a human head, but they dress with long capes   
and shoulders that it appears they are humanoid, like   
us. It's a deadly advantage they hold over other   
races."   
  
"The M'tora are probably one of the oldest races in   
the universe-- their evolutionary development has gone   
so far that they are unparalleled in psychic mastery   
and science. It was this that lead them to arrogance,   
and their near-destruction. You see, the M'tora had   
rivals, and in order to eliminate those rivals they   
escalated to unimaginable heights in warfare. It   
reached a point where all these races, in a galactic-   
scale war, nearly annihilated themselves."   
  
"The M'tora and other alien races realized the error   
of their ways, and, lying on the brink of extinction,   
they forged an alliance based on the common goal of   
survival. Although each of their powers have shattered   
thanks to the climax of their war, together they   
became strong again. However, their numbers were   
decimated far beyond their former glory, and thus in   
order to maintain hold on their empires they devised a   
creature by which to police their territories."   
  
"After a time this alliance devised a Hive Mind-- a   
powerful computer which was designed to serve the goals   
and carry out the wills of its masters. An army of   
creatures, cheaply constructed, spread out to reclaim   
any territories lost after the war to other minor   
scavenger forces, or police borders. Using physical   
designs to inspire fear in the people they wished to   
subjugate, these creatures were the Mekani."   
  
"By nature the Mekani will operate in the most   
efficient manner possible. The Hive will relegate   
orders to generals in a rigid hierarchy, where only the   
leaders have any semblance of intelligence; all other   
Mekani are drones. Although one of their prime   
directives is to seek out and absorb technology, they   
are not dumb enough to ignore an inferior technology   
for such a case when it may be desirable. In fact, the   
Mekani will prioritize efficiency so much that they   
will often discard regular uses of technology we might   
find useful-- such as energy shields-- because they   
soak up too much power-- power that can be useful in   
other systems."   
  
"Nor were they programmed stupid. Their creators   
were so well-versed in artificial intelligence that   
they plugged-up any logical loophole imaginable... and   
those that came up later were easily remedied. In a   
sense the Mekani do have the ability to reason and have   
the capacity for higher thinking, but often they will   
hide this fact and play on their image of fear-- the   
mechanical locusts that seek only to consume all in its   
path. Psychological weapons, the M'tora know, are   
very powerful, and cheap, weapons."   
  
"Many thousands of years past, and the Mekani moved   
to conquer the galaxy its masters inhabited. This so-   
called Mekani Alliance welcomed those who wished to   
bask in their glory, and swept aside those who would   
remain unaligned to their cause. Any distrust from   
past wars were erased as unity took hold on a galactic   
scale, and for a time the Alliance remained content.   
The member races of the Alliance became known as the   
Aligned Peoples-- those who shared the vision of a   
universal order in the cosmos."   
  
"However, one day explorers from another galaxy   
arrived. The Alliance thought nothing of it, until   
later that same race came to invade their galaxy.   
Although the invaders were wiped-out easily, the   
Alliance determined that it could no longer remain   
complacent with just bringing order to their galaxy--   
but to other galaxies as well. In the name of   
universal order the Alliance dispatched the Mekani to   
all neighboring galaxies."   
  
"The Aligned Peoples cannot be underestimated."   
  
"In time the Mekani expedition came to find Earth,   
and discovered a force in the Sol System that could   
threaten the Aligned Peoples' hold on the galaxy. To   
that end the Mekani-- along with a detachment of the   
member races-- made their journey to this system, and   
summarily wiped-out any perceived threat on the way.   
When they arrived on Earth the object of their search   
was nowhere to be found...."   
  
"At some point in Earth's history, the human race   
effectively put an end to the threat themselves."   
  
"Unfortunately for the Aligned Peoples, the humans   
living there at the time were powerful sorcerers-- the   
High Men, and perceived the invaders as threats. They   
attempted to wipe-out the entire expedition, hurling   
powerful magicks from their sky castles, but some of   
them managed to crash on Earth to continue the war.   
Many years past as human magic-users and Aligned   
Peoples warred, until the sole M'toran member of the   
expedition usurped control over the Mekani on the   
planet for his own ends."   
  
"You'd think the Mekani would rebel by themselves...   
but they can't. You see, the Hive Mind isn't just a   
computer, but it's also made up of the people behind   
the Alliance in the first place. It's not the core   
conscience of a computer, but the organic mind of a   
M'toran behind it. Their psychic mastery allows them   
to achieve untold ends with their machines. In effect   
those siding with the Mekani subjected themselves to   
the wills of the M'tora driving them. Later   
technological advancements allowed other members of the   
Alliance to command them as well, but never as   
effectively as with a M'toran. In fact the M'tora   
need not control directly, whether in an interior   
cockpit or a remote post, but through a dummy unit.   
The dummy unit was essentially a special genetically-   
engineered M'toran that served as an extension of its   
will."   
  
"The expedition members were unaware of this, of   
course; only the elite heads-- those involved in the   
original war-- knew of it. When the Mekani turned   
against the Aligned Peoples these abandoned people in   
turn sided with the High Men. The Mekani Director--   
or rather, the M'toran commanding it-- determined that   
the goals of the expedition were lost, as the Aligned   
Peoples wished for personal gain rather than serve the   
Alliance. But, in the end, the combined power of the   
humans and the Peoples outmatched the Mekani hordes,   
and they cast great magicks to expel them from this   
plane, into a dark void of nothingness. This void was   
made by creating an artificial Earth in a parallel   
demi-plane, and all traces of the Mekani were taken   
with it-- including the means by which the Peoples   
could return home."   
  
"The Peoples became known as the kami. It was their   
intention to live out the rest of their existence on   
their demi-plane, away from the Alliance that would   
seek them out as traitors, and to seal the Mekani they   
could not hope to annihilate on their own. Such was   
the magical energies that went into the creation of the   
demi-plane that new kami spontaneously-birthed for a   
time. Time proved their deception a success, as the   
Alliance bothered them no further."   
  
"However, not all of the kami had sided with the   
humans in the war. In particular, one is remembered--   
Sagila, the Lord of Black Moon, a powerful dragon. He   
was tried for crimes against the alliance of kami and   
cursed for all eternity-- by fragmenting his soul and   
forcing him into unlife."   
  
"That creature is better known as Deathclaw."   
  
"You see, the nature of Deathclaw's curse is this:   
he cannot know a final death until he can find the one   
who possesses the other half of his soul. He cannot   
know the joys of living... but somewhere along the line   
Deathclaw discovered he could reclaim that by   
possessing a willing individual. However, that never   
lasted long, as eventually the body died-- either from   
the host's arrogance or by being consumed by the ghost   
dragon's will. The cycle repeated itself until at last   
he found the other half of his soul, in a girl that   
mirrored his temperament perfectly."   
  
"That girl is Shizuka. When she dies Deathclaw will   
know a final death."   
  
"In time the kami alliance fragmented, where two   
distinct factions developed-- the Celestials, who lived   
on the surface and in the sky, and the Infernals, who   
lived under the ground-- warring over interests and   
conflicting ideas. Along with this several renegade   
kami refused to live in the demi-plane-- the Kami   
Plane, as it became known-- and lived on Earth as   
outcasts of their people. Along with the decline of   
magic with the fall of High Man the kami on Earth   
lived to become legends-- legends such as Grendel,   
Orochi, Merlin, and Bahamut are but a few examples.   
By the Common Era these legendary High Men and rogue   
kami disappeared into obscurity, and few such   
individuals still roam the Earth today."   
  
"In order to enforce the border between kami and man   
four leaders of the Aligned Peoples emerged: Seiryu,   
Byakko, Genbu, and Suzaku. Their sacrifices forged a   
bond of cooperation between the dying High Men and the   
kami, and these High Men became the priests of the Four   
Gods. However, since the High Men met near-extinction   
thanks to the Mekani War, they had to turn to their   
lesser brethren to carry on the tradition. These   
people would serve to safeguard the border between man   
and kami, as well as hunt down the remaining renegade   
kami and deliver them to the Kami Plane, where they   
belonged."   
  
"The Four Gods exist only in spirit and not in form,   
and like Deathclaw, they manifest only in a host body.   
However, not only must the host be willing, but it must   
be suitable to the gods' tastes, whims, and wills...   
and must be of purity, requirements which are harsh but   
nonetheless enforce their guardian spirits."   
  
"The kami and Mekani stranded on Earth-- which they   
believed were completely wiped-out-- became a black   
footnote in the Alliance history, but they never kept   
their eyes off Earth, for such time which it may once   
again display some sort of threat to the structure of   
their order. Even as we speak they continue their   
expansion from their home galaxy, to bring unity to   
the chaos holding this universe."   
  
---   
  
"The Shadow Weavers are descendants of the High Men,"   
the voice continued, a voice which the queen   
recognized. "The threat the Mekani perceived was when   
Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom used the Silver   
Crystal to wipe out the Dark Kingdom. They feared it   
could be used against them in the same manner. Yet   
they never imagined that the High Men themselves--   
subjects in your Silver Millennium-- could pose a   
threat."   
  
"Our goal was to revive the power of the Four Gods,"   
Sypha Blade explained, appearing out of the shadow to   
Neo Queen Serenity's eyes, dissolving her guise as the   
C-ko shadow. "We were collecting artifacts once used   
by those Guardian Spirits, seeking only the Rings of   
Zoltani now that Kanna located the Dragon Beard   
Tassles. The Mekani were intrigued by the success the   
Four Gods had in maintaining harmony, so they wished to   
reproduce it. They would install Cinder, Mousse,   
Shizuka, and Kanna as the Guardians of Suzaku, Byakko,   
Genbu, and Seiryu, respectively. They would do with   
the world as they saw fit, so long as they quelled any   
threat to the Mekani Alliance that existed on Earth."   
  
"Sypha?" Neo Queen Serenity said, surprised.   
  
"Wiseman allied with the Mekani," she explained, "and   
we along with him. The Mekani are primarily interested   
in bringing order, not destroying. The ones trapped   
on Earth wished to rape the planet out of revenge for   
their imprisonment. They wished to remove the Crystal   
Court from their seat of power and install the Four   
Gods as regent powers, in order to quell the threat   
forever. As members of the Alliance we will not fail."   
  
"And yet, we never anticipated a greater threat,"   
said another voice, this one belonging to a Mekani.   
"Hokuto the Shadow Weaver."   
  
"You are...?"   
  
"Director Mezzat. Or rather, an extension. A dummy   
unit has been installed in this vessel, parasiting off   
one of your two Sailor Senshi that refused to   
cooperate with the Aligned Peoples. The other remains   
on the Charybdis in Zedaji's care. The true Mezzat is   
still in Tau Ceti, directing orders here."   
  
"The M'tora are strong in this regard," added Sypha.   
"Neptune and Uranus were easy to bend to their will."   
  
"But that's not the issue," said another, the shadow   
form of A-ko dissolving to reveal Shizuka. "What's at   
stake now is to destroy the Shadow Reality."   
  
"And by that," said Kanna, appearing as the B-ko   
shape dissolved, "you, alone, can decide."   
  
"Why me?" asked Neo Queen Serenity.   
  
"Hokuto perverts reality around you, and you alone,"   
Shizuka answered calmly. "We... we are mere specters,   
anchored here in a split-second, awaiting the moment   
for reality to exert itself once more. The mental   
plane Hokuto has constructed is powerful one, which can   
only be broken by the one who initiated it."   
  
"And that's you," Kanna finished.   
  
"Me?"   
  
"The Silver Crystal is a great source of Light   
energy, which is why Hokuto immediately parasited you.   
Her present state of mental deterioration requires her   
to feed on another to survive."   
  
"You can only escape in death," another said, making   
an entrance. Neo Queen Serenity recognized the form   
as Mousse. "If you remain here, you will become   
trapped in this shadow, unable to challenge Hokuto."   
  
"Then I must go back," she decided.   
  
"Excellent," Mezzat said.   
  
"And then what?" asked Shizuka. "What will you do,   
once you've broken the Shadow Reality?"   
  
"What do you mean?" asked the queen.   
  
"You will have a chance to do it all over again,"   
the priestess of Genbu pointed out. "The question is,   
will you?"   
  
Neo Queen Serenity lowered her head. "I cannot   
say."   
  
Silently, Shizuka nodded. "It's as I expect. Then   
you do deserve to be lent our power."   
  
Neo Queen Serenity's eyes opened in alarm, as the   
forms around her transformed into balls of light.   
Swirling around her like fireflies they gathered like a   
protective shield. She saw more of the energy globes   
appear out of the shadow, to join the others. Those   
that had perished joined her, and Neo Queen Serenity   
felt the warmness offered by the Sailor Senshi... and   
her daughter. She felt the energy from others coursing   
through her, with the likes of those such as Mezzat,   
Sypha, and even Shion joining in. She almost heard   
Ayame whisper her "Good Luck."   
  
Bathed in energies lent to her by friends and foes   
alike, Neo Queen Serenity expelled the darkness   
around her.   
  
---   
  
"No way," Hokuto hissed in disbelief, as a shining   
beacon of light emerged from the shadow pool where Neo   
Queen Serenity disappeared to.   
  
"What the hell is that?!" Ranma cried, from his   
bound position on the ceiling along with Saturn, Pluto,   
and Ukyo.   
  
"It's her!" Saturn cried with joy.   
  
The white radiance that bathed her form faded away,   
melting the features of the being once known as Neo   
Queen Serenity. Rising in her place, Eternal Sailor   
Moon emerged.   
  
"Sailor Moon," Hokuto said flatly, unamused.   
  
"It's over, Hokuto," Eternal Sailor Moon declared.   
"There is no such a place existing with pure Light, or   
pure Darkness. Vizier changed you into nothing more   
than a shadow of what you used to be."   
  
"That's funny," the Shadow Weaver said, "that's   
always what others thought of you. All talk, no   
substance. You made the world worse than it already is   
by pretending it was better than before."   
  
"Perhaps," she granted, "but now I understand. I've   
made the mistake of being unable to see another's   
point of view. Ours is not the only one in the   
universe. The Mekani are afraid of us, and that's why   
they attack. The people want to be able to defend   
themselves, without the help of the Sailor Senshi...   
and that's why they rebel against us. They don't want   
to limit their horizons; they want to stand on their   
own and take their place in the cosmos. I tried to   
afford everybody the freedom that was their right."   
  
"Freedom isn't a right, it has to be earned!" Hokuto   
cried. "That's what your enemies believe. Are you   
saying they're right?"   
  
"No, I didn't," Moon said. "But, if I can't even   
understand that, I'm not fit to rule this world. There   
is no one right in the universe."   
  
"The only right is the Light!!" Hokuto railed   
angrily. "Evil such as Wiseman and the Mekani must be   
exterminated!"   
  
"And by following that course of action, you yourself   
become evil!"   
  
"If it takes becoming evil to discover true good,   
then so be it!"   
  
Hokuto's shadow tentacles speared outward toward   
Eternal Sailor Moon, but she charged headlong into   
the oozing mass. She deflected each blow with a swipe   
of her hand easily, and waded her way toward the source   
of the problems.   
  
"If there's one thing flawed with the Mekani form of   
harmony," Moon cried, "it's that fear will generate   
hate, and hate will lead toward war. War will only   
breed more hate, and the cycle will continue."   
  
"And your form of harmony requires the impossible   
cooperation of billions of individual minds!" Hokuto   
countered. "The only true harmony lies in One! Me!   
My vision!"   
  
More shadow tentacles emerged, splitting off the   
ones already past Moon, much like thorns on a rose.   
Her forward velocity slowed, Eternal Sailor Moon tried   
to smash away the newly-forming thorns, but the field   
was becoming thicker by the moment, obscuring her from   
Hokuto.   
  
"Don't give up!" Moon heard Ukyo shout from the   
ceiling.   
  
"You're almost there!" Ranma encouraged.   
  
"Don't hold back!" Saturn cried.   
  
"Your Highness... finish it!" Pluto insisted.   
  
"What are you waiting for?" demanded Hokuto. "Don't   
you listen to your friends and allies? There's nothing   
stopping you from destroying me."   
  
"Even if you are a parasite, and unable to live on   
your own," Eternal Sailor Moon said, struggling against   
the push of the tentacles, "your life still matters!"   
  
"Such is what I'd expect out of a weakling like you!"   
Hokuto scoffed. "But, you know what? You're only   
denying yourself the truth. The reason you haven't   
used your true power against me is because I AM you."   
  
For a moment Eternal Sailor Moon was pushed back a   
distance by the tentacles, and, somehow, she knew it   
was true.   
  
"You won't kill me because, if you do, you'll wake   
up and die by Shizuka's hand," she gloated. "If   
necessary, we'll fight for all eternity, and the   
result will still be the same. You are your own worst   
enemy."   
  
"It works both ways," the Eternal soldier muttered.   
  
"Eh?"   
  
"You won't kill me because you'll die, too," Moon   
pointed out. "You're just as afraid of dying, if not   
more. The others were right; you're nothing but a   
parody of your former self. The real Hokuto died back   
on the Night Hammer. You're like Vizier... afraid of   
dying your final death." She faltered a moment. "And   
perhaps I was afraid, too. I never should've been   
alive right now, because I was afraid of growing old   
and dying. I convinced myself that the world couldn't   
possibly do without me, so I made sure to guarantee my   
own, and everybody else's, immortality. I was afraid   
to let others solve problems on their own, because I   
didn't trust them to."   
  
"It is as you said," she concluded. "I'm my own   
worst enemy."   
  
Cupping her hands forward, Eternal Sailor Moon forced   
a blast of energy through the thorns of tentacles, then   
forced her way through. Hokuto's barrier barrage   
intensified, but for each obstacle put in her path   
Eternal Sailor Moon destroyed them in half the time it   
took to erect them.   
  
Before she knew it, she was at the center of the   
black tentacle mass. Hokuto simply stood there, her   
arms at her sides, staring at Moon coldly.   
  
"What are you waiting for?" she said mockingly.   
"Kill me."   
  
Eternal Sailor Moon raised her arms, but hesitated.   
  
"Just as I thought," the Shadow Weaver said with a   
snort. "We're just going to have to start all over   
again. Maybe the second time around, you'll just   
give up."   
  
"I understand now," Moon said. "Hokuto was fighting   
to keep Vizier contained. She got lost in the Dark   
power, and struggled to find a way out. She became   
obsessed with achieving the Light, having experienced   
the Darkness so fully. She awakened, and sought the   
Light that was the Silver Crystal. She wanted to   
create a world where the Light rules all, in her   
vision of it. She could not hope to achieve this in a   
real world, so she created a sub-reality to rule. She   
wanted to show that all were in the wrong, and that she   
was the only right."   
  
"But, Hokuto's body was no longer able to support   
her. She needed to survive somehow. She chose me,   
and became a part of me, to exist for all time in her   
own world, trapping those around her in it. She wished   
to escape the reality, as I have done. She wished for   
a perfect world so bad that she eliminated those who   
didn't share her vision. She knew she could live   
forever in the mind of another who ran the same as she   
did."   
  
Eternal Sailor Moon placed her hands on Hokuto's   
shoulders, and stared straight into her eyes. "There   
will be no more running. The fantasy ends now, and   
the world will guide its own destiny. We are one and   
the same; when the dreamer dies this nightmare ends!"   
  
Transforming into light, Eternal Sailor Moon stepped   
back into herself.   
  
---   
  
Command Center, Scylla   
  
The young Sailor Moon tore her attention away from   
Mezzat's damaged Mekani body, and noted that Sypha was   
pulling herself back upright.   
  
"The ship's still falling!" Moon cried frantically.   
  
Sypha placed her free claw on her forehead, cradling   
it in pain. "What?"   
  
"I don't know what'll happen," young Moon continued,   
"but if we crash the Earth as we know it will end!"   
  
Instantly, the black sorcerer was awakened from her   
pain, and she grasped her dragon pearl orb tightly.   
Standing to her feet, she looked down at Sailor Moon.   
"I suppose there's only one thing to do about it,   
huh?"   
  
In a bright flash, Sypha Blade vanished.   
  
---   
  
Levitating in the air below the falling Scylla,   
Sypha's orb flared brilliantly, and she allowed it to   
consume her whole body. Against the cold airs of the   
Arctic, Sypha felt her body stretch and congeal,   
extending outward quickly to rival the length of the   
Scylla easily.   
  
When her transformation spell was complete, Sypha   
emerged in her true, glorious kami form as a Celestial   
Dragon of Chinese legend. Orienting herself on her   
back in the air the dragon caught the Scylla, but the   
weight of gravity pushed her down along with it. Sypha   
pushed against gravity with all the strength she could   
muster, but she could barely slow its descent.   
  
Blast, she cursed mentally. This serpentine body   
isn't strong enough....   
  
Her dragon pearl glowed brightly, offering Sypha more   
energies. She felt the descent slow slightly, and she   
quickly calculated how much more energy she would have   
to expend to clear the danger zone.   
  
Fine, she thought, if it's going to take everything,   
that's what you're going to get! I don't care how, but   
this Earth is my home... and there isn't a chance in   
Hell I'll let it all be destroyed by something so   
trivial as a flood....   
  
Living forever was overrated, anyway.   
  
---   
  
Siege Zone, Crystal Tokyo   
  
Ranma smiled to himself as he completed his   
descent, that Ziel had the split-second opportunity to   
avoid his devastating blow. He felt the force he   
gathered smash through the street, creating a crater   
where Ziel should have been.   
  
Reaching the bottom, the martial artist collapsed in   
the hole he created, exhausted. He smiled to himself.   
"I guess there's a second chance there, Wind-User...."   
  
---   
  
Shizuka never felt the cold slash, nor any pleasure   
in attacking, as she stood over Neo Queen Serenity's   
fallen body. Although no blood poured from the world   
monarch's body, the priestess knew well enough that the   
damage was within.   
  
Inside her, Deathclaw told her, "It was no will of   
yours or mine that brought this event, but her own."   
  
Her eyes passing from King Endymion, standing   
hostage to the spectral claw, to Neo Queen Serenity,   
Shizuka declared, "And so ends the dream. Good   
morning, Earth."   
  
---   
  
Shion regarded the body Hokuto discarded in his   
mind, shutting off the monitoring machines that all   
agreed that she met her final passing. He removed his   
glasses, wiping his forehead before replacing them,   
then turned to leave the chamber she occupied for so   
long.   
  
"Things do have a way of turning-out okay," he said   
smugly. "Now, the real work begins."   
  
---   
  
Dawn   
  
"Weeks passed quickly after the last battle in the   
short-lived Third Black Moon War. In a move that   
surprised the World Parliament, but not those   
involved in Hokuto's trap, the Mekani ceased their   
attacks entirely."   
  
"The world mourned the loss and passing of Neo Queen   
Serenity openly. Only we truly understand why she   
chose to save the world, and perhaps, in time, the rest   
of the human race may understand. But now is not the   
time to mourn, because the future is still uncertain."   
  
"Princess Serenity turned down the chance to ascend   
the throne, and King Endymion supported her fully. It   
was then up to an advisory council, formed from   
members of all sides involved in the war, to determine   
how to next proceed from here. At the very least,   
Mezzat's secondary body on the Basilisk was present to   
present the Aligned Peoples' case and grievances.   
Kanna, Shion, and Ayame busy themselves with this as   
well. They still debate over the issue."   
  
"It would go untold to the rest of the world the   
sacrifice Sypha made, in expending all her energies,   
including her life force, to ease the Scylla's death   
dive. The Mekani warship now rests on the ice, and the   
Mekani are repairing it round the clock to make it   
spaceworthy again. Cinder, despite his distaste   
for cold environments, journeyed there to pay his   
respects to the last Celestial Dragon. With Neo Queen   
Serenity gone that warrior no longer feels the need to   
continue his vendetta."   
  
"Despite being embittered over her Shingo Tsukino   
could not help but feel the loss for the queen. He   
reminisced over the old days with Chika, who spends   
her time listening and comforting him. Disaster only   
serves to bring these two closer as they learn to   
understand one another."   
  
"Mousse still feels somewhat cheated that he couldn't   
get Neo Queen Serenity himself, but now that she's gone   
the Master of Hidden Weapons seems to have calmed down   
a bunch. He's disappeared as well, returning to the   
old woman Cologne to train, and figure out what to do   
with his life now."   
  
"Shizuka and Deathclaw vanished, not wanting to be   
found, I suppose. She explained to me all about what   
she wanted out of the war, and now she's going to wait   
and see what happens next. She told me that, if the   
world needs another good nudge, she'll be back to give   
it a big shove."   
  
"Ziel somehow found respect in Ranma, probably for   
sparing him the pain the second time with the last hit.   
Without any pressing need to be anywhere he joined   
Ranma and Ukyo on their trip to see friends and   
family again. They've probably got stories to tell."   
  
"Uranus and Neptune are recovering from their   
ordeals as Mekani hosts, but the scars are slower to   
heal. They would never speak of the travesties they   
had to face while captive, and respectfully, no one   
ever asked. The other Sailor Senshi struggled to find   
something to do with themselves, although talk has   
been going around as to whether or not they should   
return to their civilian lives once again."   
  
"If the need ever rose, I would've died for Neo   
Queen Serenity. She never asked me to, and she'd never   
ask me to, anyway. I always wondered, as the Soldier   
of Death, what it felt to be the one who had to watch   
loved ones die, as I was too used to the notion of   
sacrificing myself for them. Life is a precious   
commodity indeed."   
  
"I hope that Hokuto Takemasa has, at last, found   
true peace."   
  
---   
  
"Immortality... something which distorts time.   
The immortals believe they have all the time in the   
world, and are unable to appreciate life because of it.   
One of the joys of living is knowing you have a limit,   
and you try to push yourself to the fullest."   
  
"Hate may be a product of war, but it is a part of   
human nature. It was something which was denied in   
this society. It is unrealistic to believe that one   
can eliminate war by changing human nature-- it is   
then humans are no longer humans."   
  
"Humanity is not alone in the universe. There are   
those that do not share in the humanocentric ideals   
that existed here. Humanity must not remain content in   
its perceived superiority, or it should be destroyed."   
  
"The mother has released the child from nurture; now   
it is up to the child to decide its own destiny. It is   
a future which is yet uncertain and will be difficult,   
but there are those here who can guide it... but never   
control it, to its destiny."   
  
Shizuka emerged from the Altar of the Sun, having   
relayed her report to the departed spirits. She sighed   
deeply. "Fool. In choosing to die the queen ditched   
responsibility of living the consequences of her   
terrible rule."   
  
"It is time," she heard Deathclaw say.   
  
The priestess nodded. "Yes. Let's go home."   
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------   
  
Author's Notes  
  
Thank you for reading!   
  
  
--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)   
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html   
  
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